Ukraine says death toll in Borodyanka could be likely worse than in Bucha

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Russian forces left at least 300 civilians dead in Bucha, a town near Kyiv.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it’s likely that Borodyanka, a nearby town, has a higher death toll.
• Civilians killed in Bucha were found shot in the head with their hands tied and women were raped.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is concerned that Borodyanka, a town near Kyiv, will likely have a higher death toll than Bucha. Hundreds of civilians were killed by Russian forces in Bucha.

During Zelenskyy’s speech on Tuesday, he said that the death toll in other cities could be higher. He’s talking about cities that Ukraine had just reclaimed from Russian forces. Ukraine found the brutal killings in Bucha earlier this week after it retook control of the town.

“There is already information that the number of victims of the occupiers may be even higher in Borodyanka and some other liberated cities.” Zelenskyy said.

“In many villages of the liberated districts of the Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Sumy regions, the occupiers did things that the locals had not seen even during the Nazi occupation 80 years ago. The occupiers will definitely bear responsibility for this.”

Officials reported that around 300 civilians were found killed in Bucha after Russian forces left the town. Zelenskyy said the death toll could rise as officials do further investigations through the town.

Ukraine’s prosecutor general, Iryna Venediktova, also believes they will find more bodies in Borodyanka than in Bucha. She told Ukrainian TV that “in fact, the worst situation with civilian victims is in Borodyanka.”

World leaders have condemned Russia for the killings and accused the Kremlin of war crimes in Bucha. Zelenskyy described the killings of civilians as “genocide.”

Some civilians in Bucha were shot in the head with their hands tied behind their back, according to Oleksiy Arestovych, one of Zelenskyy’s advisors. He also said on Sunday that some women were raped before they were killed. 

President Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” after hearing the disturbing events in Bucha. He also announced plans for more sanctions on Russia.

Source: Insider