UN says videos, footage from Bucha show that civilians were 'directly targeted, killed'

The images of atrocities carried out in Ukraine’s Bucha show “all the signs” that civilians were “directly targetted and directly killed”, said the United Nations (UN) on Tuesday. While addressing a virtual press briefing, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) spokesperson Liz Throssell averred the UN’s “horror” over the images that surfaced from the Ukrainian town near Kyiv which showed civilian bodies strewn across the streets. 

“What we have seen emerging from Bucha and from other areas clearly points to very disturbing developments. That the brutality, the targeting of the civilians really underscores that this is so concerning," Throssell said.

"You know, really looking at the video and the footage coming out of there is all the signs that the victims were directly targeted and directly killed,” she added.

OHCHR spokesperson made a specific reference to the “disturbing” images of people with their hands tied behind their back along with partially naked women whose bodies were burnt. She said that such images “strongly suggest” the direct targeting of individuals. Throssell said, “We have been talking about war crimes in the context of shelling, bombardment, and artillery attacks. Now they need to be investigated.”

“But you could argue there was a military context, for example, to a building being hit. It's hard to see what was the military context of an individual lying in the street with a bullet to the head or having their bodies burned,” she added while calling for “detailed forensic examinations” without “saying that a specific incident is a war crime”. 

UN chief calls for 'independent' probe into Bucha killings

Earlier on Tuesday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an independent probe into the mass killings of civilians in Bucha. He had said, "I will never forget defining images of civilians killed in Bucha and I immediately call for an independent investigation to guarantee effective accountability. Russian offensive has led to the displacement of 10 million people displaced in just 1 month, the fastest since World War-2."

Image: AP