Timeline of Russia-Ukraine war ahead of international donor summit in Poland - part 2

Record ID: 1671454

  • Title: Timeline of Russia-Ukraine war ahead of international donor summit in Poland - part 2
  • Date: 19th April 2022
  • Summary: Forensic investigators began exhuming a mass grave in the Ukrainian town of Bucha on Friday (April 8), wrapping in black plastic and laying out the bodies of civilians who officials say were killed during a Russian invasion. Ruslan Kravchenko from the prosecutor's office in Bucha said they had exhumed 20 bodies, 18 of whom had firearms and shrapnel wounds. He said two women had been identified, one of whom had worked at a supermarket in the town centre. Since Russian troops pulled back from Bucha last week, Ukrainian officials say hundreds of civilians have been found dead. Bucha's deputy mayor said more than 360 civilians were killed and around 260-280 were buried in the mass grave by other residents. Reuters could not independently verify those figures. The deaths of civilians in Bucha have been widely condemned by the West as war crimes. The Kremlin said on Tuesday (April 5) the allegations that Russian forces had executed civilians in Bucha were a "monstrous forgery" aimed at denigrating the Russian army. BUCHA, KYIV REGION, UKRAINE (APRIL 8, 2022) (REUTERS) FORENSIC INVESTIGATORS IN PPE WALKING NEAR RECENTLY EXHUMED BODIES IN BODYBAGS FORENSIC INVESTIGATOR WALKING BY PIT WHERE BODIES WERE RECENTLY EXHUMED FORENSIC INVESTIGATORS IN PPE WALKING NEAR RECENTLY EXHUMED BODIES IN BODYBAGS European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Ukraine's town of Bucha on Friday (April 8), the site where Ukrainian officials have said hundreds of civilians have been found dead since Russian troops pulled back from last week. BUCHA, UKRAINE (APRIL 8, 2022) (REUTERS) EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT URSULA VON DER LEYEN AND EU'S TOP DIPLOMAT JOSEP BORRELL WALKING WITH UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER DENYS SHMYHAL, UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS AND MILITARY UKRAINIAN SOLDIERS STANDING NEXT TO BODIES IN BODYBAGS BODY BAGS ON THE GROUND VON DER LEYEN LOOKING ON AND LOOKING SHOCKED BY THE SIGHT OF THE BODIES IN THE BODYBAGS European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged on Friday (April 8) to offer Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy a speedier start to Ukraine's bid to become a member of the European Union. Handing Zelenskiy a questionnaire which will form a starting point for the EU to decide on membership for Kyiv, she said: "It will not as usual be a matter of years to form this opinion but I think a matter of weeks." Zelenskiy said he would come back with answers in a week. KYIV, UKRAINE (APRIL 8, 2022) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) EU COMMISSION PRESIDENT, URSULA VON DER LEYEN, SAYING: "We stand ready 24 hours, seven days a week to support you in filling out this questionnaire. We know a lot about each other because we have been working together so intensively over the last years so it will be not as usual, a matter of years to form this opinion, but I think a matter of weeks if we work closely together. So for you dear Volodymyr, I want to give you that." VON DER LEYEN HANDS OVER QUESTIONNAIRE AND SHAKES HANDS WITH ZELENSKIY (SOUNDBITE) (English) UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT, VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY, SAYING: "We'll be ready with answers Ursula in one week." Rescue workers in Borodyanka, northwest of Kyiv, were on Friday (April 8) clearing out rubble from apartment buildings and structures destroyed by heavy Russian shelling. Ukraine's prosecutor general on Thursday (April 7) reported 26 bodies were found under two ruined buildings in the town. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday warned that the situation in the town of Borodyanka is "significantly more dreadful" than in nearby Bucha. BORODYANKA, UKRAINE (APRIL 8, 2022) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EMERGENCY SERVICES SEARCHING THROUGH RUBBLE AMID DESTROYED BUILDINGS, BULLDOZERS LIFTING DEBRIS (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) LOCAL RESIDENT, MARIYA, CRYING AND SAYING: “My children were lying under the rubble. They just took my children out from under the rubble.” VARIOUS OF DESTROYED BUILDINGS, FIREFIGHTERS ON CRANE LOOKING INTO BUILDINGS
  • Embargoed: 3rd May 2022 05:10
  • Keywords: Biden Bucha Johnson Mariupol NATO Putin Russian invasion of Ukraine Stoltenberg Ukraine Volodymyr Zeleskiy mass graves
  • Location: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
  • City: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Europe,Military Conflicts,Editors' Choice
  • Reuters ID: LVA00X219517042022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS NOTE: FOR PART 1 OF THE TIMELINE PLEASE SEE EDIT 0771-UKRAINE-CRISIS/INVASION-TIMELINE
    EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES
    Warsaw is hosting an international donor conference for Ukraine on Thursday (May 5). The focus of the conference will be on financing humanitarian aid for Ukraine and will aim to initiate a series of aid events for Ukraine in the coming months, the Polish Prime Minister's Office said.
    The conference will be hosted by the Polish and Swedish Prime ministers, as well as senior European Union leaders, including the European Council President and the European Commission President.
    Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24th, calling its action a special military operation to demilitarise Ukraine and eradicate what it calls dangerous nationalists backed by an expansionist NATO military alliance. The West and Kyiv accuse Russian President Vladimir Putin of unprovoked aggression.
    More than two months into the war, about five million Ukrainians have fled their homes, cities have been shattered and thousands have died. The UN estimates that more than 12 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian aid, including food, medical supplies and shelter.
    On Saturday (April 16) President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said about 2,500-3,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed so far and up to 20,000 Russian troops. Ukraine says civilian deaths are impossible to count, estimating at least 20,000 killed in the southern city of Mariupol alone.
    The UN has scaled up to respond to the massive increase in needs and has set up local hubs to access the hardest-hit areas with life-saving assistance. It’s also calling for more to be done by the international community to respond to the rapidly rising needs. This international donor conference will serve to mobilise substantial pledges to support the UN humanitarian response in Ukraine.
    (Production: Vanessa Romeo, Sophia Wang)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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