The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor Karim Khan says Ukraine is "a crime scene"
Media reports say he made the comments on a visit to the Ukrainian town of Bucha, where images of streets strewn with bodies shocked the world earlier this month, and local officials say hundreds of civilians were killed and buried in mass graves.
According to the Voice of America (VOA), Karim Khan, visited mass graves in Bucha Wednesday, telling reporters afterward, “Ukraine is a crime scene.”
"We have reasonable grounds to believe that crimes within the jurisdiction of the court are being committed," the International Criminal Court's Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan told reporters earlier.
"We have to pierce the fog of war to get to the truth,” Khan later wrote on Twitter. He also described Ukraine as a "crime scene".
The BBC says a report from the OSCE says Russia carried out international human rights violations in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the presidents of four countries on Russia's doorstep visited Ukraine on the same day. The presidents of Poland and all three Baltic states (Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia) reportedly visited the town of Borodyanka, northwest of Kiev, on April 13 in a show of support for Ukraine.
ИЗОБРАЖЕНИЕ Presidents Zelenskiy held talks with the presidents of Poland and the Baltic states; photo / BBC
Yesterday, they also visited Kiev, where they met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to express support for his country.
According to Notes from Poland (NFP), Zelenskiy welcomed the decision by the presidents, saying that such visits are “particularly important as a show of European support in our struggle for freedom.”
“Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have always been the first to help Ukraine,” declared Zelenskiy at a joint press conference of the five presidents yesterday evening following their meeting.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry has warned to strike decision-making centers in Kiev, if there are continued attacks on its territory.
ИЗОБРАЖЕНИЕ Russian Defense Ministry building in Moscow
Russian media reports say the Russian Defense Minister official representative, Major-General Igor Konashenkov, said this on April 13.
"We are seeing Ukrainian troops' attempts to carry out sabotage and strike Russian territory. If such cases continue, the Russian armed forces will strike decision-making centers, including in Kiev " Konashenkov noted, according to Komsomolskaya Pravda.
Russia has accused Ukraine of shelling its territory before, including an alleged attack on an air base last month.
