April 5 (Reuters) – The United States and Europe were planning new sanctions on Tuesday to punish Moscow over civilian killings in Ukraine, and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned more deaths were likely to be uncovered in areas seized from Russian invaders. Read full story
WAR CRIMES INVESTIGATION?
* Ukraine said 50 bodies found in Bucha had been victims of extra-judicial killings by Russian troops. Reuters could not verify the events, but its journalists saw the bodies of civilians scattered over the town at the weekend. Read full story
* Satellite images showed a 45-foot (14-m) -long trench dug in the grounds of a church where a mass grave was found. Read full story
* The Kremlin categorically denied any accusations related to the murder of civilians in the town, saying the graves and corpses had been staged by Ukraine to tarnish Russia.
* Russia said it would present to the U.N. Security Council “empirical evidence” of what it called lies by Ukraine and its Western sponsors.
* U.S. President Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal and urged a trial. Read full story
* The U.S. said it would push for Russia to be suspended from the U.N. Human Rights Council. Read full story
FIGHTING
* Ukraine‘s general staff said Russian forces attacked the southern city of Mykolayiv with cluster munitions banned by the Geneva convention and whole blocks of civilian buildings, including a children’s hospital, came under fire.
* Russia probably plans to shift its focus to the south and east of Ukraine, and is refitting forces in Belarus, U.S. officials said. Read full story
* Heavy fighting has continued in Mariupol, British military intelligence said, and a Red Cross team is being held nearby. Read full story
ECONOMY
* Russia’s latest sovereign bond coupon payments have been stopped, a source familiar with the matter and a spokeswoman for the U.S. Treasury said, pushing it closer to a historic default. Read full story
* Western powers said more sanctions on Russia would be imposed in the coming days.
* Russia maintained gas flows through key pipeline routes into Europe. Germany has said ending gas imports would hurt the EU more than Russia. Read full story
PEACE TALKS
* President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russian “war crimes” had made it harder for Ukraine to negotiate with Russia. There has been no update on peace talks that had been set to resume on Monday.
QUOTES
* “This guy is brutal. And what’s happening in Bucha is outrageous, and everyone’s seen it,” Biden said.
(Compiled by John Stonestreet, Rosalba O’Brien and Michael Perry; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
