As Russia denied its involvement in the mass killings in Ukraine’s Bucha, the EU claimed that “there is no one else who could have committed these atrocities.”

The areas of Ukraine where mass graves and murdered civilians were found “have been under the occupation, under the control of the aggressor, of the Russian troops, or they have been bombed out by the aggressor, the Russian troops,” Peter Stano, European Commission spokesperson for foreign affairs, said on Monday.

Also Read | Human rights watchdog warns Bucha could be replicated on ‘very large scale’: Report

Russia responded to the allegations made by Ukraine maintaining it doesn’t target civilians and saying the images of bodies on the streets of Bucha are fake. 

Speaking to journalists in Brussels, Stano said that “the perpetrators of all these violations and war crimes will be held accountable,” adding, “government officials and military leaders will be held accountable.” 

Stano said that the European Union will fully support “the investigation which was launched by the International Criminal Court prosecutor, and we also support fully the work of the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights Commission of Inquiry.” 

The EU is also “assisting the Ukrainian Prosecutor General and civil society which is focused on collection and preservation of evidence of the war crimes,” he added. 

Also Read | European Parliament President Roberta Metsola says Ukraine invasion to be Russia’s ‘costliest mistake’

Amid the ongoing outcry over the invasion of Ukraine, Moscow is also facing global condemnation after several bodies with civilian clothes were found scattered across the streets of Bucha, which was earlier in control of Russian forces. Some of the bodies had been shot deliberately at close range.

Journalists saw 21 bodies, out of which two had their hands tied behind their backs. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the killings a “genocide.”

“Dead people have been found in barrels, basements, strangled, tortured,” said Zelensky, adding that peace talks will continue with despite the horrific incident.

Explaining the reason behind holding the peace talks to BBC, Zelensky said: “Yes, because Ukraine must have peace. We are in Europe in the 21st Century. We will continue efforts diplomatically and militarily.”