Zelensky sees massacre in Bucha first hand, calls killings ‘genocide’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky travelled to the small town of Bucha on Monday to see first hand the death and destruction that has shocked the world.

War crimes had been committed in Bucha, Zelensky told journalists in the community located some 25 kilometres north-west of Kiev. “The world will recognize this as genocide,” he said.

Zelensky was accompanied by security guards and wore a protective vest as he took stock of the devastation. Bodies and burnt out Russian tanks litter the streets.

When asked by a reporter whether it was still possible to negotiate peace with Russia, he answered in the affirmative: “Ukraine must have peace.”

At the same time, he stressed that an early success in the negotiations was in Russia’s interest: “The longer the Russian Federation delays the talks process, the worse it will be for them.”

Pictures of unarmed residents lying lifeless on the ground after Russian troops withdrew have been reverberating around the world since the weekend. Russian troops controlled the area for weeks.

Ukraine, along with many world powers, say Russian soldiers committed the massacre.

Moscow says it had nothing to do with the killings.