While European countries lashed out at Russia after the controversial horror images in the Ukrainian city of Bucha were reflected in the world press, Japan described the images in Bucha as “war crimes” for the first time.
While the images of civilian deaths in the Ukrainian city of Bucha, where the Russian army continued its attacks on Ukraine, were met with public reaction, a statement came from the Japanese government. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, Hirokazu Matsuno, described the civilian deaths in the city of Bucha, located close to the Ukrainian capital Kiev, as “war crimes”. “The killing of large numbers of innocent civilians is a serious violation of international law and a war crime,” Cabinet Secretary Matsuno said in his statement, noting the need for a thorough investigation.
Underlining that many civilians in Ukraine lost their lives due to Russian attacks, Matsuno said, “We are in a deep shock.” Expressing that Russia should definitely be punished if a war crime is discovered, Matsuno added that his country will continue to cooperate closely with the G7 countries and the United Nations (UN) on the response.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Many civilians were found dead in the Ukrainian city of Bucha, where the Russian forces had withdrawn, and the Kyiv administration announced that 410 civilians, most of whom were tied up, were killed by Russian soldiers.
Russia, which denied the allegations, described the images as propaganda.
While the images aroused wide public repercussions, allegations of war crimes came to the fore.