"We will never forgive": Ukraine one year after the liberation of Bucea, marked by the massacre that horrified the world
Ukraine marks today, 31 March, one year since Russian troops withdrew from the Kiev suburb of Bucea, leaving the bodies of executed civilians strewn across the streets in what has become a symbol of alleged Russian war crimes. A year after the massacre that horrified the world, Ukraine's president, Volodimir Zelenski, came out with a message on social media in which he gave assurances: all those guilty will be held accountable for their crimes.
"Bucea. 33 days of occupation. Over 1,400 deaths, 37 of them children. Over 175 found in fraternal graves and torture chambers. 9,000 Russian war crimes. 365 days of being a free Ukrainian city. Symbol of the atrocities of the occupying country's army. We will never forgive. All the guilty will be punished," the Ukrainian president wrote on social media.
Zelensky's message is also accompanied by a video of the town of Bucea up to and after the tragedy that shook the whole world.
On 31 March 2022, the town of Bucea was abandoned by Russian troops. At that time, Ukrainian authorities said that more than 300 inhabitants of the town were killed. Signs of Russian war crimes were found, including mass killings of civilians, torture, rape and looting. President Zelensky described the massacre as genocide at the time and called on the International Criminal Court to investigate what happened in the city.
Journalists published images of the bodies of Bucea's citizens, which were then picked up by the world's leading media outlets. The event was condemned by activists, politicians and cultural figures from Ukraine, the EU, the US, and other countries around the world, including Moldova.
The leadership of the Russian Federation denied at the time that the Russian military was involved in the incident. The defence ministry in Moscow called the photos and video footage documenting the killing of civilians "another Kiev staging for Western media". The Russian Defence Ministry reportedly found signs of "video fakes" and "forgeries". However, according to the New York Times, the satellite images contradict Russian claims that the Bucea atrocities were staged by Ukrainians.
