Complete withdrawal of Russian troops from the Ukrainian north – At least 340 dead from the massacre in Boutsa

LAST UPDATE: 11.38

Russian forces have reportedly completed their withdrawal from areas of northern Ukraine they had invaded since February 24, as shortly after 9 a.m. Greek time, the Ukrainian army took control of the border with Russia in the Sumy province.

Ukraine now controls the entire length of its border with Belarus and its northern border with Russia, with Russian forces remaining on Ukrainian soil only to the east, from the height of Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv, and south to Donbas and to the south, where they control a wide area from Hersonissos to the outskirts of Mariupol.

At the same time, Ukrainian authorities are investigating possible war crimes allegedly committed by the occupying Russian army before its withdrawal from northern Ukraine, as they found hundreds of corpses, some tied up and shot at close range, scattered in cities near Kyiv after of Russian forces in order to focus their attacks on other parts of Ukraine, as reported by Reuters.

Up to 340 bodies have been recovered since the massacre blamed on Russian troops in the city Boutsa, northwest of Kiev, according to Ukrainian media reports.

As of late Sunday, 330 to 340 bodies had been recovered, according to the Ukrayinska Pravda newspaper, which cites a funeral home. Investigations into more victims are ongoing, as some bodies are buried in backyards, the report added.

Images of the bodies of residents, which were discovered after the withdrawal of Russian troops from the area, have caused international horror and Ukraine accuses the Russian troops of slaughter.

The Ukrainian prosecutor’s office announced that forensic examinations will be conducted on the bodies in order to understand the context in which the crimes were committed. The assistance of foreign researchers will also be requested.

Moscow claims “provocation”

Russia, for its part, says the alleged crimes by its troops in Bhutan are a “provocation” and no residents have been harmed.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia He also said that the plans for the dead citizens in the Ukrainian city of Butsa had been “ordered” by the United States as part of a conspiracy to accuse Russia.

Russia’s foreign intelligence service has denied the allegations in a statement issued Friday stating “Similar, baseless allegations concerning Russia’s foreign policy have been made more than once.

Alexander Bastrykin, the head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, has ordered an investigation into allegations that Ukraine leaked “deliberately false information” about Russia’s armed forces in Bhutan, the commission said in a statement.

The General Staff of Ukraine stated that Russia is expected to mobilize about 60,000 reservists. Reuters could not independently confirm the allegation.

Meanwhile, a series of explosions were heard in the occupied by the Russian army Hersonissosin southern Ukraine, according to Ukrainian media.

There are also news reports of explosions in the city Ternopil (west).

There has been no official announcement of explosions in the two cities. It is impossible for this information to be verified independently.

The governor of his eastern region Donetsk said on Sunday that the bombing continued unabated. Seven people were killed in Russian bombings in Kharkivthe second largest city in Ukraine, announced the regional prosecutor’s office.

Fierce fighting continues in Mariupolas Russian forces try to occupy the center of the besieged port city, as announced by the British military intelligence service.

Assoc. Prime Minister of Ukraine: A humanitarian corridor opens today from Mariupol

A humanitarian corridor from Mariupol will open during the day, according to Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Irina Verestsuk, despite the difficulties that remain in keeping it operational.

“The corridor will be open to private vehicles. 15 evacuation buses have already departed from Zaporizhia for Mariupol,” said Ms. Verestsuk, who, in addition to being deputy prime minister, is also minister of reintegration in the Land of the Temporarily Occupied Territories.

On Sunday, seven buses, accompanied by the International Committee of the Red Cross, arrived in Manchus. The Red Cross will continue to accompany the convoy to Mariupol.

If the operation succeeds, it will be the first successful evacuation attempt in Mariupol since the start of the war.

Britain: Russian forces continue to refocus their attack on Donbas

Russian forces continue to reorganize as they redefine their attack on Donbass in eastern Ukraine, the British military intelligence service said on Monday, according to Reuters.

Russian troops, including mercenaries from the Russian state-affiliated private military company Wagner, are moving into the area, the Pentagon said in a regular tweet.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the report.

New explosions in Odessa

Explosions were heard last night in her city Odessaa port of strategic importance in southern Ukraine, a Reuters news agency reporter reported.

The port city was hit by an airstrike overnight, a Ukrainian official said Monday morning, according to CNN.

“Several rockets hit one of the districts of Odessa,” said Serhii Bratchuk, a spokesman for the Odessa regional military administration. “Further information is being clarified,” he added.

It is recalled that a fuel depot was hit in Odessa early Sunday by Russian forces. Bratchuk said there were no casualties in the incident.

Chernihiv is 70% destroyed (mayor)

The city Chernihiv of northern Ukraine has been 70% destroyed by Russian attacks, according to statements by its mayor, Vladislav Atroshenko.

“The consequences are terrible, as in Butsa and Kharkiv and probably in Mariupol,” Mr Atroshenko told Ukrainian state television. Some of his statements were republished by the Ukrainian newspaper Pravda.

The mayor said he was very concerned that there was no heating and that the city’s economy was paralyzed, almost as much as air raids.

There are several medieval churches and monasteries in Chernihiv. The Ukrainian government has sought to add the city center to its list of World Heritage Sites. Before the war, the city had a population of 285,000.

Russian troops withdraw from Sumy

Russian troops began to withdraw from Sumiin eastern Ukraine, according to a local official.

It is too early to judge whether the area has been liberated, Dmitry Zivicki, head of the Sumy regional government, told UNIAN news agency.

According to the official, a large number of Russian troops were located in the area last week and attacks on civilians were reported. Military vehicles have been transported from Kyiv and Chernihiv to Russia, and many damaged tanks and other equipment are now visible in the area, according to Zivitsky.

This information cannot be independently verified.

Zelensky: Beasts who know no other way to act than to commit war crimes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday night that more “horrors” could come to light, revealing “even more deaths and crimes” in areas of his Russian-controlled country.

“Because this is the nature of the Russian army that invaded our country. It is a beast that knows no other way to act,” he said in a recorded speech. He added that he wants every mother of a Russian soldier to see the bodies of civilians in Butsa and elsewhere.

“What did they do? Why were they killed? What did a civilian who was just riding his bike do?”

“Why were civilians tortured to death in a peaceful Ukrainian city? Why were they strangled by women after pulling out their earrings? How could they rape women and kill them in front of their children? Make fun of their victims even after death “Why did they step on corpses with tanks? What did Boutsa do to your Russia?”

Images of civilian bodies in the small town, a few dozen kilometers from Kyiv, have sparked international outcry. The Ukrainian government has blamed Russian forces, who recently occupied Bhutan, for killing dozens of civilians. Moscow denies it.

Volodymyr Zelensky also said that former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former French President Nicolas Sarkozy would have to visit Buca to see what led to what he described as a failed policy towards Russia. “I invite Mrs Merkel and Mr Sarkozy to visit Boutza to see where the concession policy has led for 14 years.”

In 2008, NATO member states considered accepting Ukraine, but decided not to do so because of Russian opposition.

According to the deputy mayor in Boutsa, Taras Sapravski, at least fifty of the at least 300 civilians found dead after Russian forces withdrew late last week have been the subject of extrajudicial executions by Russian forces. Others were killed by crossfire or their deaths have not been explained.

Kyiv has again accused Moscow of war crimes. From Hostomel, near Butsa, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov stressed that “this is not a special operation (…). These are inhumane people who have committed crimes against civilians.”

UN: At least 1,417 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion

As of Sunday, at least 1,417 civilians had been killed in Ukraine since the Russian-led invasion, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHR) said Monday, according to CNN.

Of those killed, at least 121 were children, according to the OHCHR. At least 2,038 civilians were reported injured.

“Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide range of impacts, including heavy artillery and multi-launcher missile systems, as well as missile and air strikes,” OHR said in a statement.

Many of the deaths occurred in Kiev-controlled areas of Ukraine that have been heavily bombed by Russian forces – including areas in western Ukraine far from the front lines. At least 67 of the deaths occurred in the self-proclaimed republics of eastern Donetsk and Luhansk, according to the statement.

The OHCHR warned that the death toll could be much higher.