Ukraine leader breaks down as satellite images reveal truth about what happened in Bucha

Volodymyr Zelensky was brought to tears in the Ukrainian city of Bucha where alleged war crimes took place, as images reveal the truth of what happened there.

As Russia denies responsibility over shocking pictures of civilians lying dead in the street in the Ukrainian city of Bucha, new satellite images have revealed the bodies were there more than three weeks ago – when Russian military were in control of the city.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was visibly emotional as he entered the city and surveyed the scene, where bodies lay, some with their hands bound, some with gunshot wounds to the head.

Mr Zelensky appeared overwhelmed, telling reporters: “It’s very difficult to talk when you see what they’ve done here.”

The Kremlin however has said its soldiers had nothing to do with the killings, declaring they had already left the city, northwest of Kyiv, before the violence took place.

But now satellite images reviewed by The New York Times have shown that many of the civilians were killed more than three weeks ago, when Russia’s military was in control of the city.

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President Volodymyr Zelensky wipes a tear as he walks in the town of Bucha, about 25km northwest of capital Kyiv. Picture: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP

One video filmed by a local council member on April 2 shows multiple bodies scattered along Yablonska Street in Bucha.

Satellite images by Maxar Technologies show that at least 11 of those had been on the street since March 11, when Russia, by its own account, occupied the town.

The images show dark objects of similar size to a human body appearing on Yablonska Street between March 9 and March 11.

The objects appear in the precise positions in which the bodies were found after Ukrainian forces reclaimed Bucha, as the footage from April 2 shows. Further analysis shows that the objects remained in those position for over three weeks.

Ukraine and Western leaders have accused Russia of carrying out the massacre of civilians and dumping their bodies in mass graves, with one pit containing at least 57 people in Bucha.

The satellite images show what appear to be bodies in the street while Russian troops were in control of the city. Picture: Maxar Technologies

‘It’s genocide’: Ukraine leader breaks down in Bucha

Mr Zelensky appeared distressed as he visited Bucha, where he described the killings as “genocide”.

“These are war crimes and it will be recognised by the world as genocide,” he said during a visit to the city, where the bodies were discovered after it was reclaimed by Ukraine’s army.

“You stand here today and see what happened. We know that thousands of people have been killed and tortured with extremities cut off, women raped, children killed,” he told reporters.

“It’s genocide.”

Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia was responsible for the killings which he called ‘genocide’. Picture: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP

Britain, France, Germany, the US and NATO all voiced their horror at the images coming out of Bucha, where some of the dead appeared to have been bound by their hands and feet before being shot.

US President Joe Biden called for a “war crimes trial” over the alleged atrocities in Bucha and said he would seek “more sanctions” against Moscow.

Russia vows to shed light on ‘true nature’ of events

The Kremlin however said it will today present “documents” to the United Nations about the “real nature” of the events in Bucha.

Moscow has called for a UN Security Council meeting on what its deputy ambassador to the body called a “heinous provocation of Ukrainian radicals in Bucha”.

“Today through our permanent representative [at the UN], we will organise a press conference in which precise documents will be presented on the real nature of events,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

Russia has “categorically” denied any role in civilian killings in Bucha. Mr Lavrov has spoken of fake images and a “disinformation” campaign.

The images of the bodies has left the world shocked. Picture: Twitter

On Sunday, Ukrainian prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova said 410 civilian bodies had been recovered in the wider Kyiv region after Russian troops pulled back.

In Bucha, the local mayor said 280 people were buried in mass graves because they could not be buried in cemeteries that were within firing range.

AFP on Saturday saw the bodies of at least 22 people in civilian clothes on a single street in the city.