Tag Archives: Ukraine

From top: Bucha, Ukraine at the weekend; Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

This afternoon.

Further to international outrage over civilian deaths in Ukraine, including apparent evidence of bound bodies shot at close range and a mass grave found in areas retaken from Russian troops…

…Taras Shapravskyi, deputy mayor of Bucha, a town around 40km northwest of Kyiv city, said ’50 of around 300 people were found dead’ were the victims of ‘extra-judicial killings carried out by Russian troops’.

Via Al Jazeera:

The Kremlin has categorically rejected accusations that Russian forces were responsible for killing civilians in Bucha, suggesting images of corpses lining the streets were “fakes”.

Journalists from international media over the weekend found corpses in civilian clothes – some with their hands bound – in Bucha after Ukrainian forces retook the town on the outskirts of

Ukrainian authorities said on Sunday they were investigating possible war crimes, while Western leaders erupted in outrage over the deaths.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the facts and chronology of the events in Bucha did not support Ukraine’s version of events.

He said Russian “experts at the Ministry of Defence have identified signs of video fakes and various fakes”, without elaborating.

“We would demand that many international leaders do not rush to sweeping accusations and at least listen to our arguments,” he added.

Russia denies military forces killed Bucha civilians in Ukraine (Al Jazeera)

Twitter/Getty

This morning.

Belgorod, Russia.

Via Reuters:

The Kremlin said on Friday that a Ukrainian strike against a fuel depot in the Russian city of Belgorod did not create comfortable conditions to continue peace talks with Kyiv.

Russia accused Ukraine on Friday of attacking the depot but Ukrainian authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Speaking to reporters on a conference call, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said authorities were doing everything to reorganise the fuel supply chain and avoid disruption of energy supplies in Belgorod.

Kremlin says Ukraine strike on Russian fuel depot creates awkward backdrop for talks (Reuters)

Meanehile…

Yikes.

Yesterday: Rouble With A Capital T

This afternoon.

Further to the emergence of a video allegedly showing the activities of a Ukraine army unit called Kraken, affiliated with the far-right National Corps, where footage included soldiers apparently shooting Russian prisoners of war in the legs…

…via BBC ‘Reality Check’:

The BBC has geo-located footage from this video to the village of Vilkhivka, 3.5 miles (5.6km) from Malaya Rohan. The weather is similarly sunny and dry.

The group said 30 Russians were taken prisoner in the village on 25 March and the Kraken video has footage of PoWs bound, blindfolded and being bundled into a van at one point and forced to sing the Ukrainian national anthem at another point. But there is no shooting or serious violence towards them.

The BBC contacted Konstantin Nemichev, head of the National Corps in the Kharkiv region. He said his forces treated prisoners “humanely” and denied any connection to the video of the alleged shootings at the dairy.

Meanwhile…

…In the most disturbing part of the video, three men appear to be shot in the legs at close range with an assault weapon.

There’s been some debate on social media as to whether the footage is genuine or staged, with some people claiming there isn’t enough blood, evidence of exit wounds or shouting and screaming from the victims for it to be real.

We showed the video to several trauma surgeons and former military doctors who gave us their expert opinion but wished to remain anonymous.

One said he had treated soldiers who had sustained gunshot injuries who didn’t shout or scream and said the lack of bleeding on some of the wounded soldiers could be explained by them having had a tourniquet applied (visible in the video).

He said: “It is my opinion that the footage cannot be categorised as ‘fake’ purely based on the images seen. This requires an investigation for war crimes.”

Another doctor said: “It appears genuine… these meet the description of punishment shootings to the limbs”.

Other people on social media pointed to the lack of apparent recoil on the assault rifle when it was fired, claiming it could have been firing blank rounds.

Mr Reynolds points out that the AK-74’s 5.45mm round is small-calibre and has very little recoil but he also added “the video quality isn’t great”.

The BBC is continuing efforts to verify this video and will update this piece if more evidence comes to light.

Previously: “We Are A European Army, And We Do Not Mock Our Prisoners”

Does video show Russian prisoners being shot? (BBC)

This morning/afternoon.

Foxrock, county Dublin.

Mourners leave The Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour folowing the funeral mass for Irish cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski, who was killed covering the conflict in Ukraine on March 14.

Above from photo number three: Nick Zakrzewski (brother of Pierre); Ambassador of Ukraine to Ireland Gerasko Larysa (left) with Pierre Zakrzewski’s widow Michelle; Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney (centre) and Pierre Zakrzewski’s mother Marie-Ange (right).

Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews

Last night.

Washington DC, USA

US President Joe Biden stood by his belief that Vladimir Putin should not be president of Russia, telling reporters that he made “no apologies” for his unscripted remarks.

Via Huffington Post:

“I’m not walking anything back,” the president said..

“I was expressing moral outrage, and I make no apologies,” he added.

Speaking in Poland at the end of his four-day trip to Europe on Sunday, Biden said of Putin, “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power.”

The line came at the end of a 27-minute speech and was ad-libbed by a president famous for doing so.

Joe Biden: ‘No Apologies’ For Saying Putin ‘Cannot Remain In Power’ (Huffington Post)

Meanwhile…

Ah here.

Getty

Saturday.

Via Al Jazeera:

In a surprise appearance at the Doha Forum international conference, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensk called on energy-producing countries to step in so that Moscow cannot use its oil and gas wealth to “blackmail” other nations.

Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom has said it is continuing to supply natural gas to Europe via Ukraine in line with requests from European consumers.

On Friday, EU leaders ‘promised’ to end the bloc’s dependence on Russian energy.

Russia’s Gazprom says gas exports to Europe via Ukraine continue (Al Jazeera)

Meanwhile…

Russia supplies nearly 40% of the European Union’s natural gas and over 25% of the region’s crude oil. Although the global oil cartel known as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other non-OPEC oil-exporting nations played down concerns of a global oil shortage as the war drags on, many industry players fear a potential demand destruction that could cause oil demand to peak and fall when pump prices become too expensive.

To reinstate the balance in oil supply and demand especially during wintertime in Europe, EU-based importers of Russian oil could then choose to yield to Putin’s demands and pay in rubles.

However, EU leaders, shortly after Putin’s announcement, stood firm and rejected the Kremlin’s demands, with Slovenia Prime Minister Janez Jansa saying “nobody will pay in rubles,” Bloomberg News reported. The message was backed by leaders of Ireland, Italy, Croatia, and Germany, among others, ahead of a summit meeting in Brussels. The leaders stressed that Putin’s demand would be in violation of their existing contracts.

Will importers cave into Putin’s gas for Rubles demand? (FX Street)

Friday: No Pleasing Some People

Warning: very graphic video.

Last night/this morning:

A Ukrainian official promised an “immediate investigation” on Sunday after graphic videos made the rounds on social media over the weekend, reportedly showing beaten and bloodied captured Russian soldiers being shot in the legs by Ukrainian forces.

The commander in chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, however, accused Russia of “staging videos” showing the “inhumane attitude” of what are purported to be Ukrainian military members toward Russian prisoners of war.

“The government is taking this very seriously, and there will be an immediate investigation,” senior presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said in an interview on Sunday. “We are a European army, and we do not mock our prisoners. If this turns out to be real, this is absolutely unacceptable behavior.”

Ukraine to investigate after video shows alleged Russian POWs being shot: Zelensky aide (Washington Examiner)

Meanwhile…

…via Russian State-owned RT:

Russia has launched a probe after graphic video emerged online, purporting to show the torture of prisoners of war at the hands of Ukrainian servicemen.

“The video circulating online shows captured soldiers being shot in the legs without medical assistance,” the country’s Investigative Committee said in a statement on Sunday.

Multiple disturbing clips apparently filmed at the same unknown facility, emerged online over the weekend.

The footage shows multiple people, apparently Russian prisoners of war, lying on the ground. All of the servicemen appear to be heavily beaten and have leg wounds.

Russia investigates alleged footage of Ukrainian troops torturing POWs (RT)

“Lithuania, for us. Latvia is for us. Estonia is for us. Poland is for us.

“France, Emmanuel [Macron], I really believe that you will be for us. Slovenia is for us. Slovakia, for us. The Czech Republic is for us. Romania knows what dignity is, so it will be for us at the crucial moment. Bulgaria is for us. Greece, I believe that with us. Germany (…) I’m a little later. Portugal — well, practically (…) Croatia, for us. Sweden, blue and yellow should always be together. Finland, I know you are with us. The Netherlands is rational, so let’s find a common language.

“Malta, I believe it will succeed. Denmark, I believe it will succeed. Luxembourg, we understand each other. Cyprus, I really believe that with us. Italy, thank you for your support! Spain, find a common language. Belgium, we will find arguments. Austria, together with the Ukrainians, these are opportunities for you. I’m sure of it. Ireland, well, practically.”

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky (top) addressing EU leaders last night.

Oh.

EU summit marked by Zelenskyy shaming Hungary’s Orban (EuroActiv)

Meanwhile…

Arriving on the second day of the summit the Taoiseach was asked if Ireland had been “singled out” as falling short in its support.

He told reporters: “That wouldn’t have been my read of it. He was actually talking in terms of the European perspective … I wouldn’t have taken the same slant that some may be taking from it.”

Asked if Mr Zelensky’s comments could be interpreted as meaning that he believed Ireland’s support to be less intense than other countries, Mr Martin said: “I think that’s reading too much into it if I’m honest.”

“Obviously we’re a military neutral country but we explained that we facilitated the EU peace facility which has been of enormous support to the Ukrainian people,” Mr Martin said.

Ukranian President was not ‘negative about Ireland’ – Taoiseach insists people are ‘reading too much into’ Zelensky’s remarks (Independent.ie)

AP/Getty