Ukraine’s President has accused Russia of war crimes after harrowing images emerged over the weekend.
Volodymyr Zelensky has labelled Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as “genocide”.
Speaking on Sunday (3 April), the Ukrainian leader warned that his people could face “extermination” as CBS Face the Nation presenter Margaret Brennan asked the question, “Is this genocide?”, to which Zelensky simply replied, “Indeed”.
President Zelensky said that Ukraine’s people and cities are filled with more than 100 nationalities and that “this [war] is about the destruction and extermination of all these nationalities”.
Clip via CBS News
Ukrainian officials have stated that bodies of women and children were found raped and set afire, and men were tortured and executed while their hands were tied behind their backs in the city of Bucha.
The atrocities were made known as Russian troops pulled out of the city, with the bodies of local officials also found among the dead.
At least 20 bodies, some with their hands bound, were seen strewn across a single street in the town of Bucha, near Kyiv, on Sunday, The Sun reported.
Ukrainian officials say 410 people have been found dead in towns near Kyiv so far, with at least 300 killed in Bucha alone.
A mass grave discovered in Bucha contained 57 bodies.
The grim developments come after President Zelensky gave a powerful surprise appearance at this year’s Grammy Awards ceremony, calling on attendees and viewers to do their part and urging them to help “in any way you can – any, but not silence”.
On a night where music and entertainment are celebrated, Zelensky noted the stark difference between the occasion and the conditions in Ukraine, stating “our musicians wear body armour instead of tuxedos”, before imploring artists to fill the “dead silence” of their bombed-out cities with music and help tell Ukraine’s story.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made a surprise video appearance at the music industry's star-studded Grammy Awards celebration in Las Vegas and appealed to viewers to support his country ‘in any way you can’ https://t.co/hwQYnEpLGx #GRAMMYs pic.twitter.com/dKTBCkfEB8
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 4, 2022
You can watch Zelensky’s full interview on Face the Nation below.
Clip via Face the Nation
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