Missile strikes as UN tours

Russia resumes Kyiv hits

KYIV: Russian forces bombarded Ukraine’s capital during a visit by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres – who decried the “absurdity” of war in the 21st century – while US President Joe Biden asked congress for $US33bn more to support Kyiv.

At least three people were wounded in the western part of Kyiv in the first strikes for almost two weeks, and came after the UN chief toured Bucha and other suburbs where Moscow is accused of war crimes.

Ukrainian prosecutors said they were investigating 10 Russian soldiers for suspected atrocities in Bucha, where dozens of bodies in civilian clothes were found after Moscow’s retreat, and had identified 8000 alleged war crimes cases.

Those involved “killing civilians, bombing of civilian infrastructure, torture” and “sexual crimes” (rape) reported during Russia’s occupation of parts of Ukraine, prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova said.

In Washington, Mr Biden urged politicians to approve his huge aid package, as well as proposed new laws to allow the use of luxury assets stripped from Russian oligarchs to compensate Ukraine for damage inflicted since Moscow invaded on February 24.

“The cost of this fight is not cheap. But caving to aggression is going to be more costly if we allow it to happen,” the President said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed Mr Biden’s proposal as an “important step” and “necessary”.

Mr Zelenskyy said the strikes by Russia – which came immediately after his talks with Mr Guterres, and just a day after the UN chief had met Mr Putin in person in Moscow – were a deliberate attempt by the Russian tyrant “to humiliate the UN and everything that the organisation represents”.

“It is a war zone but it is shocking that it happened close to us,” said UN spokesman Saviano Abreu, who was travelling with Mr Guterres.

Mr Guterres called the war “evil” after visiting Bucha and demanded the Kremlin co-operate with an International Criminal Court investigation into possible war crimes.

Prosecutors said the 10 servicemen under investigation were suspected of “premeditated murder”, cruel treatment and other violations of the laws and customs of war during their occupation.

A Russian military spokesman told media that Moscow’s army had conducted air strikes against 38 military targets, destroying seven munitions depots, but made no immediate mention of Kyiv or the wider region around the capital.