Ukraine’s prosecutor has announced that 1,222 bodies have now been found in mass graves in the Kiev region as Ukraine prepares for a huge new attack. Heavy bombardment hit the country all weekend after hundreds of civilians were found dead with their hands tied and signs of torture last week. The UN said Sunday that 4,232 civilian casualties had been reported to date, with areas such as Kharkiv, Izium and Mariupol facing relentless bombing. Of these, 1,793 civilians were killed and 2,439 wounded, although the actual numbers are believed to be “significantly higher”. President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that the coming days are crucial as Kremlin forces turn their attention to the east and Vladimir Putin appoints a new warlord “with a record of barbarism”. A confrontation in eastern Ukraine could be a decisive moment for the invasion, although there are questions about the strength of the Russian army. Personnel fired from the service since 2012 have been called in to make up for the growing losses, the defense ministry said on Sunday. A warning was issued today saying Putin could turn to phosphorus bombs in his “desperation” to seize Mariupol, a key southern port under attack and besieged for six weeks. People walk on a dilapidated street in the southern port city of Mariupol (Image: Reuters) Lubov, Yuri’s mother, is crying after her son was removed from the rubble in Borodyanka near Kyiv (Image: EPA) To view this video, enable JavaScript and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video White phosphorus ignites fast-burning fires that can seriously burn human flesh, making it particularly dangerous for those in war zones. In a recent briefing, the Foreign Office in London said: “Russian forces previously used phosphorus munitions in the Donetsk Oblast increase the likelihood of their future employment in Mariupol as fighting for the city intensifies.” He added: “Russian bombardment continued in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, with Ukrainian forces repelling several attacks resulting in the destruction of Russian tanks, vehicles and artillery equipment. “Russia’s continued dependence on unguided bombs reduces its ability to discriminate when aiming and striking, and significantly increases the risk of further civilian casualties.” Meanwhile, US officials warn that the Kremlin has turned its attention to 60-year-old General Alexander Dvornikov, one of Russia’s most experienced military officials. The senior official who identified the new commander had no authority to identify himself and spoke on condition of anonymity. However, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the general had a history of atrocities against civilians in Syria and warned “we can expect more from him in this theater.” However, he told CNN’s State of the Union: “No appointment of a general can erase the fact that Russia has already faced a strategic failure in Ukraine; this general will simply be another author of crimes and barbarism against Ukrainian civilians.” . A total of 4,232 civilian casualties have been reported, but the actual number is believed to be much higher (Image: EPA) Police are working to locate the bodies after the killing of civilians in Bucha (Image: AP) Russia has denied the allegations in a statement issued Friday stating “Similar, baseless allegations concerning Russia’s foreign policy have been made more than once. In his overnight address to the nation, President Zelensky said “the day will come when they will have to admit everything and accept the truth.” “When people do not have the courage to admit their mistakes, apologize, adjust to reality and learn, they turn into monsters,” he said. “And when people are unaware of it, the monsters decide that it’s the world that has to adapt to them. “Ukraine will stop all this.” A questionnaire was handed to the Ukrainian leader at the weekend to decide whether the country can be nominated as a candidate for membership in the European Union. Ursula von der Leyen said the Ukrainians “belong to our European family, without a doubt”, adding that the examination of the application could take only weeks, instead of the usual years. Contact our news team by emailing us at [email protected] For more stories like this, check out our news page.
