The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine stated on March 31, 2023, that Russian military committed more than 9,000 war crimes during its occupation of Bucha. #BuchaMassacre
“Over 9,000 war crimes were committed in the Bucha district during the 33 days of occupation. Terrible numbers. More than 270 crimes per day. More than 1,400 civilians were killed. Many of them were tortured. 37 children were among the killed. Another 52 children were injured."
"All these crimes are... part of the planned strategy of Russia aimed at destroying Ukraine as a state and Ukrainians as a nation. We will not stop until all the organizers and perpetrators of war crimes are brought to justice." - Office of Prosecutor General of UA
In March 2022, Ukrainian resistance forced Russian troops to withdraw from Kyiv after they lost the battle for the city. Following this, reports about tortured and executed Ukrainian civilians spread worldwide.
Investigations established Russian culpability, but the Kremlin engaged in a playbook of denial, blame-shifting, and making up stories.
The same tactic was used after the downing of MH-17. Initially, narratives were contradictory and aimed to distract from the horror. Pro-Kremlin outlets alleged that Ukraine staged the massacre, or that the corpses were actors or those of "pro-Russian collaborators."