Global leaders condemned Moscow and considering further sanctions over multiple reports that Russian troops executed unarmed civilians in Ukrainian towns. Meanwhile, Kyiv asked the International Criminal Court to gather evidence of alleged war crimes.
Europe warned Russia to face new sanctions for “war crimes”. The two European leaders most closely allied to Russian President Vladimir Putin before his invasion of Ukraine won decisive election victories on pledges to stay out of the war.
Europe Warns Russia Faces New Sanctions for ‘War Crimes’Putin’s Pre-War Allies Dominate Hungarian and Serbian l
An advisor to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy posted several photos on Twitter of dead people with their hands tied behind their backs claiming they were killed execution style. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said many of the images were faked.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed Ukrainian claims of war crimes having been committed by Russian troops in towns near Kyiv.
“It’s clear to the naked eye that there are a lot of fakes and staged shots,” Peskov said by text message when asked to comment on images released by Ukrainian officials of dead civilians in towns recently vacated by Russian soldiers.
Chief negotiations of Russia and Ukraine are set to resume talks on Monday, with Kyiv yet to confirm the discussions.
According to U.K’s daily intelligence assessment, heavy fighting continued in Mariupol, the southern Ukrainian port that’s a key target for Russia, with Ukrainian forces retaining control of central parts of the city.
Russia said it targeted an oil refinery and fuel depots in the strategic Black Sea city of Odesa, which was rocked by explosions early Sunday.
German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said the European Union should discuss a ban on Russian natural gas imports. Asked twice in an ARD television interview whether the response to reported Russian atrocities should include an end to gas shipments, Lambrecht said EU ministers “have to discuss precisely that.”
