Volodymyr Zelenskyy tells Romanian lawmakers that Russia wants to attack Odessa and from there would be one step closer to Moldova
Ukraine’s president said Monday in a video address to Romanian lawmakers that what happened in the Ukrainian city of Bucha is a “war crime.”
"I want you to see what I saw in the city of Bucha," said Zelenskyy, apologizing for the gruesome footage he broadcast.
In the city, located near the capital Kyiv, cars were crushed by tanks and people were tortured, even though there is not all the evidence yet, he noted, adding: "Why did the Russian army do this?"
Zelenskyy claimed that if the Ukrainian army and people did not defend themselves, Russian forces would carry out massacres all over Ukraine just like they did in Bucha.
He warned that Russia wants to attack the city of Odessa and from there would be one step closer to Moldova.
"Defending Moldova's independence is essential, and this means security throughout the Danube region," he said.
Earlier in the day, Zelenskyy visited Bucha, where Ukrainian troops are said to have found the bodies of civilians following the withdrawal of Russian troops.
"It is very important for us that the press is here. There are journalists. This is the most important thing. We really want you to show the world what was happening here, what the Russian military was doing, what the Russian Federation was doing in peaceful Ukraine," he told reporters, according to Ukraine’s official news agency Ukrinform.
Russia’s war against Ukraine, which started on Feb. 24, has been met with international outrage, with the European Union, US and UK, among others, implementing tough sanctions on Moscow.
At least 1,430 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and 2,097 injured, according to UN estimates, with the true figure feared to be far higher.
More than 4.21 million Ukrainians have also fled to other countries, with millions more internally displaced, according to the UN refugee agency.
