04/10/2022 15:35 (act 04/10/2022 15:35)
The discovery of another mass grave in Ukraine was reported on Sunday. Civilian bodies were found in Busova, near Kiev. ©REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, under the impression of new war crimes after Russia’s attack on Ukraine, confirmed an oil embargo against Moscow.
After meetings with several European heads of government such as Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) on Saturday, he called German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) on Sunday. Meanwhile, Ukraine has accused the Russian military of more atrocities and Russian missile attacks continued over the weekend.
The atrocities of the Russian army in the Ukrainian War
“If tyranny has launched an aggression against everything on which peace in Europe is based, we must act immediately,” Zelenskyy said in a video message posted on Saturday night. An oil embargo should be the first step for “the whole civilized world”. “Then Russia will feel it. Then it will be an argument for them to seek peace and end senseless violence,” said the Ukrainian head of state. The democratic world could definitely do without Russian oil.
More and more mass graves discovered in northern Ukraine
After Russian troops withdrew from northern Ukraine, mass graves with civilians were found in more and more places. Authorities reported finding dozens of bodies west of the Ukrainian capital Kiev. “Today we found dead civilians in a well near the gas station in Busowa,” community leader Taras Didych said on Ukrainian television that night. On the route from Kiev to Zhytomyr, bodies were also found near the capital in cars that were shot at.
Seminary in Vorzel looted by Russian troops
A seminary was also looted by Russian troops. The Roman Catholic theological seminary in Vorzel, in the Kiev region, was looted by Russian soldiers. “They stole everything that could be sold, including a chalice commemorating the Holy Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II during a visit to Ukraine in 2001,” Bishop Vitaliy Kryvytskyi of the Diocese of Kyiv-Zhytomyr said on Facebook, as reported. by Italian media on Sunday.
“The attackers opened the gates to enter the seminary. They took air conditioners, washing machines, computers, routers, kitchen utensils and even the pastor’s old sneakers. Some liturgical objects were also stolen,” the bishop wrote.
Selenskyj asked for more help and sanctions during a phone call with Scholz
Selenskyj called German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) on Sunday and asked for the war crimes indictment, as well as more aid and more sanctions pressure against Russia. This assured “the people of Ukraine the solidarity and full support of Germany”, as the deputy government spokeswoman, Christiane Hoffmann, announced. “The chancellor condemned the heinous war crimes committed by the Russian military in Bucha and elsewhere in Ukraine,” she said.
German Chancellor briefed on the current situation
The German chancellor also learned “of the current situation and the negotiation process between Ukraine and Russia”. In addition, current opportunities for further support to Ukraine were discussed. The German federal government, together with its international partners, will do everything possible to ensure that “the crimes are ruthlessly clarified and the perpetrators identified so that they can be held accountable in national and international courts,” Scholz said. Scholz and Selenskyj agreed to keep in close contact.
Venediktova accuses Russia of war crimes
Ukraine’s Attorney General Iryna Venediktova accused Russia on Sunday of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in all regions of Ukraine. Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin described them as the “great war criminals of the 21st century”. Ukraine has identified 5,600 suspected war crimes cases involving 500 suspects. That includes Friday’s rocket attack on the train station in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, which killed more than 50 people.
Red Cross Ukraine: People live without food and water
The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Ukraine, Pascal Hundt, told Sky News that people were living in appalling conditions without food, electricity, water or heating. “The level of suffering that we’re seeing is immense, and I don’t remember seeing it in recent history,” Hundt said.
Ukraine: Prefers meeting between Zelenskyj and Putin soon
Ukraine does not expect Zelenskyy to meet Putin anytime soon to negotiate an end to the war, presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak said on Ukrainian television. Ukraine continues to insist on strong security guarantees and pays a heavy price for doing so, Podoljak said. “Yes, it is difficult, we are losing people and infrastructure every day. But Russia needs to get rid of its imperial illusions,” he said.
No tangible progress in peace talks
According to Ukraine’s chief negotiator David Arachamija, there is no tangible progress in the negotiations. For Kiev, the territorial unit remains a red line. “We will not give up any territory and we will not recognize anything,” he said, referring to the Crimean peninsula on the Black Sea, annexed by Russia in 2014, and the eastern Ukrainian “people’s republics” of Luhansk and Donetsk. Putin recognized both as independent states and then launched a war of aggression against Ukraine on February 24.
Russia continued missile attacks over the weekend
Russia continued its missile attacks over the weekend. A total of 86 objects were hit in one day, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Sunday. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, the headquarters and base of the Dnipro Battalion were destroyed. Launch complexes for the S-300 air defense system were also destroyed at the military airfield in the garrison town of Chuhuiv in the Kharkov region, as were several drones, two ammunition depots and three fuel depots in eastern Ukraine.
Pro-Russian separatists announced Sunday that Ukrainian troops had seized control of two foreign ships and their crews in the port of Mariupol and were bombing the city from there. The separatists, with the support of the Russian army, are fighting to take full control of Mariupol in the Sea of Azov. Russia invaded the neighboring country a good seven weeks ago.
More civilians killed in bombing near Kharkiv
According to Ukrainian sources, several civilians were killed and wounded as a result of shelling in the Donetsk region and northeastern Kharkiv region. The Ukrainian military administration blamed Russia for this. Ukrainian forces killed 80 soldiers and destroyed three tanks, a plane and a helicopter in attacks on Russian troops on Saturday, the newspaper reported. The information could not be independently verified. Fighting also continued in the port city of Mariupol.
Luhansk governor expects Russian offensive soon
The governor of the Luhansk region assumes that the Russians will soon launch an offensive in eastern Ukraine. “It’s a matter of days,” Serhij Hajdaj told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera (Sunday). “They reposition themselves on the border and continue to bomb us. They no longer know any morals: they are destroying hospitals, schools and houses.”
In the self-proclaimed “people’s republics” of Luhansk and Donetsk, pro-Russian separatists are in charge. Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized both as independent states and then launched a war of aggression against Ukraine.
According to the governor of Luhansk, “hell” is imminent
When asked what was to come, Hajdaj said, “Hell”. He recalled Bucha or Mariupol, where serious attacks and war crimes were observed for weeks. “It’s going to get much worse for us,” the governor said. Unlike other parts of the country, there are almost no bunkers in Luhansk for Ukrainians to seek shelter. “We hide in the basements. I’m trying to convince all my fellow citizens to get out of here.”
Selenskyj thanked Johnson and Nehammer for visiting
In Kiev, Selenskyj thanked British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) for their visit on Saturday. The meeting with Johnson shows that “there are no obstacles to freedom,” he said in the video message. “Britain’s leadership in helping us, particularly in defence, and also leadership in sanctions policy – they will go down in history forever.” He also spoke to Johnson about more financial and defense aid for Kiev.