Ukrainian president visits Bucha where bodies of civilians were found

ANKARA (AA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday visited the city of Bucha, where Ukrainian troops are said to have found bodies of civilians, following the withdrawal of Russian troops.

"It is very important for us that the press is here, there are journalists, this is the most important thing. We really want you to show the world what was happening here, what the Russian military was doing, what the Russian Federation was doing in peaceful Ukraine," Zelenskyy told reporters during his visit to Bucha, according to Ukraine’s official news agency Ukrinform.

Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said that 410 civilian bodies were recovered from areas in the wider Kyiv region.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an independent investigation into the issue.

"I am deeply shocked by the images of civilians killed in Bucha, Ukraine," Guterres said on Twitter.

The US, UK, Germany and some EU countries have also accused Russia of committing “war crimes” in Ukraine, following reports of alleged atrocities in Bucha.

The Russian war against Ukraine, which started on Feb. 24, has been met with international outrage, with the European Union, US and UK among others implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.

At least 1,430 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and 2,097 injured, according to UN estimates, with the true figure feared to be far higher.

More than 4.21 million Ukrainians have also fled to other countries, with millions more internally displaced, according to the UN refugee agency.