The Bucha massacre: the worst of the Ukraine war in pictures

The town of Bucha, near Kyiv, was abandoned by Russian troops in the weekend. They left behind a chilling scene with a horizon of dead citizens on the streets. Russia claims that what we see is a montage orchestrated by Ukrainian propaganda. Its Defense Ministry states that "not a single inhabitant [of Bucha] has been injured."

Still, the images are going around the world and investigations into what happened are ongoing. We warn that they are extremely explicit.

There are dozens of images in which civilians lay at the side of the road, handcuffed and executed.

There are images in which the bodies appear to have been thrown into a mass grave.

The mass grave is located at a small distance from a church in Bucha. Satellite images confirm that it is a massive burial site.

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows the size of the mass grave found in Bucha. It is the spot where you can see that the soil has been turned recently, right near the church.

Bucha was occupied by Russian forces for a month and, according to testimonies collected by Reuters, massacres took place almost from the first day of the occupation.

The facades of Bucha show clear traces of the war.

While Russia insists that all images from Bucha are 'fabrications,' the Ukrainian media and government consider them clear evidence of 'war crimes' in this town.

Beyond the human drama, these terrifying images of Bucha give a very strong blow to the reputation of Russia. If it becomes apparent (and proven) that its army is annihilating defenseless civilians in this way, Russia's international support may decrease to a final minimum.

Each image of Bucha attests to the absolute horror of all war.

Everyday routines can lead to death when war breaks out. In the image is the lifeless body of a man who was carrying a bag of potatoes before being shot.

In many street corners of Bucha there are lifeless bodies. The images suggest that the occupation forces applied a tactic of terror and revenge.

Police have removed the lifeless bodies from the streets. The Ukrainian authorities speak of 300 civilians killed in Bucha.

Bucha is a chapter of the horror of war, but it also shows that the Russians have had to withdraw. They appear not to be achieving their objectives.

An absolutely apocalyptic landscape has been revealed to the world. Organizations such as Human Rights Watch (HRW) claim that Russian troops are committing "summary executions" and other war crimes in Ukraine.

Not even playgrounds are spared the violence of war. Much less so in Bucha, where, judging from the images, violence has been particularly horrific.

See also: The destruction of Mariupol