Multiple Reports of Civilian Atrocities as Russians Retreat

A trail of atrocities and devastation is being left behind in Ukraine in the wake of Russian forces' evidential retreat, multiple news sources reported Sunday. 

But, according to The Russian Ministry of Defense, photos and video of civilians executed in Bucha, a small city located on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, were "staged" to deliver visuals to western media, Republic World reported.

Multiple reports say otherwise:

• Associated Press: "Zelenskyy: Mines in wake of Russian retreat keep Kyiv unsafe"
• The Telegraph: "Russian retreat from Kyiv reveals extent of evil atrocities committed against civilians"
• USA Today: "'Scene from a horror movie': Russian retreat reveals devastation, death in Ukraine's streets."
• Newsweek: "Corpses 'All Over' Streets, Yards as Russia Retreats From Kyiv Area: Report"

Ukrainian journalist and Kyiv Independent writer Anastasiia Lapatina on Saturday tweeted from the scene: "Russians are shooting civilians after tying their hands behind their backs. Dead bodies are all over the Kyiv oblast, on the streets, in cars, in people's yards. Mass graves are full of unidentified bodies. Many families will never know what happened to their loved ones."

Photos released Sunday from AP affirm Lapatina's report.

First reports of the Russian retreat came Tuesday, with U.S. News and World Report indicating that Russia's withdrawal marked a "major strategy shift."

"I can verify that the comments you made with respect to the shifting dynamics on the ground domain in the vicinity of Kyiv are exactly what we see from a EUCOM perspective," Air Force Gen. Tod Wolters told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.

• Russia in Full Retreat From Kyiv
• Zelenskyy: Retreating Russian Troops Booby-Trapping Ukrainian Streets