The recent pictures of blood-chilling atrocities committed by Russian soldiers against innocent Ukrainian civilians in the suburbs of Kyiv – Bucha, Irpin and Hostomel – shook the whole world. The Bucha massacre proved that the Russian hatred toward Ukrainians is beyond anything Europe has seen since World War II. Women, children and elderly people were murdered, raped and tortured. This is the reality of Russian soldiers and their activities in Ukraine. The liberation of the Kyiv region, particularly the towns of Bucha and Irpin, from Russian troops has revealed that the latter have no limits in their crimes. The scale of their atrocities committed against the Ukrainian people is terrible.

Lies about 'denazification'

The Russian leadership must be shamelessly kidding by saying that they came to Ukraine for the so-called "denazification." Let’s clear up two points. First, there are no Nazis in Ukraine, and thus there is no need to "denazify" it. Second, we have witnessed a modern example of Nazi policies in Russia itself. Russia’s war crimes and crimes against humanity are quite comparable to those committed by the Nazis. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Russian military has murdered, kidnapped and tortured thousands of civilians in Ukraine, including children. Russian soldiers have raped numerous Ukrainian women and girls and looted houses.

As ordinary Ukrainians resist Russians on the ground, Russia’s anger has turned to local leaders and activists. The Russian invaders brutally killed the head of the village of Motyzhyn, Olha Sukhenko, her husband Ihor and son Oleksandr. The whole family was exterminated. And they are just one of many! The murdered people lie in the streets. Dozens of them were found shot in the head with their hands tied. While leaving, the invaders mined dead bodies and civilian buildings. That is horrible!

It is definitely not about the so-called "denazification." The crimes committed by Russia in the Kyiv region, particularly in the towns of Bucha and Irpin, showed that it's about genocide against Ukrainian people – basically about the "de-Ukrainization" of the Ukrainian lands.

Besides the evidence of these crimes, this week we were shocked to wake up to an article in one of the mainstream Russian media outlets with the screaming title: "What Russia should do with Ukraine." Really? After everything we have seen in Bucha, it’s difficult to imagine what else Russians can do to Ukrainians; yet, the author crosses all of the possible red lines and promotes not only removing the Ukrainian leadership but also eliminating Ukrainians as a nation.

Ukrainians have been defending their homeland from Russian invaders. Ukrainians didn’t attack any sovereign country. Ukrainians are struggling for the peace and safety of Europe and even the whole world. Mass war crimes, reports of looting and rape prove that Russian troops have no red lines or moral values whatsoever.

Our law enforcement agencies are collecting all the necessary information to assess the scale of the atrocities. The first findings are scary. Bucha Mayor Anatoliy Fedoruk informed that 280 people were buried in mass graves. According to Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova, 410 bodies of killed civilians have been taken out of the territory of the Kyiv region for examination. In the coming days, law enforcement agencies will uncover more details, and the real scale of the Bucha massacre will become ever clearer.

I can’t help but mention the malicious power of propaganda. Just think about this: While the whole world is astonished by the uncovered atrocities committed by Russian forces in the Kyiv region alone, 81% of Russians (according to a survey by Levada Center conducted on March 24 and March 30, 2022) declare support for Moscow's actions and do not believe the horrific pictures and videos. Moreover, I can’t help but express my astonishment at the encouragement Russian mothers and wives give to their sons and husbands to keep murdering and torturing Ukrainians, giggling about their comrades raping Ukrainian women and ordering them what to loot from the Ukrainian homes, as revealed in many intercepted phone calls. This undermines morality and is thus beyond any understanding!

Since the very beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine, we have been promoting a diplomatic and political way to find a solution and stop this war. In this regard, we appreciate the mediation efforts of the Turkish side.

However, the Bucha massacre must be neither forgotten nor forgiven. These inhuman actions must not be ignored. There is no way to keep silent on this. Their perpetrators – from the top leadership to commanders and soldiers on the ground – must be brought to justice for all war crimes in Ukraine.

A call for justice

In this regard, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ruled to establish a special mechanism of justice in Ukraine to investigate and prosecute all crimes committed by the invaders. This mechanism will bring together the efforts of national and international experts. We invite all countries to join this process. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) and international organizations to send their missions to Bucha and other liberated towns and villages of the Kyiv region to thoroughly collect all evidence of Russian war crimes in cooperation with Ukrainian law enforcement bodies. More than 40 countries have already supported the investigation of Russia’s war crimes and appealed to the ICC. A number of countries have launched their own criminal investigations of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Russians in the territory of Ukraine. The international community should take all relevant steps to ensure that these war crimes are the last in history and never repeated.

In the meanwhile, Russian troops will most likely continue committing atrocities in other temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. My brain refuses to even imagine what we may find once our troops liberate more Ukrainian cities and towns such as Mariupol, Kherson, Nova Kahovka and others. Russian war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine must be stopped. It is necessary to act quickly to stop them as soon as possible. To this end, it is vital to render all needed assistance to Ukraine. After all, as we have seen in Bucha and other liberated places, this is a moral duty of every country that cherishes universal human values. Otherwise, there is no guarantee that tomorrow another country will not become the next target for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s killing machine.