Zelensky: ‘New mass graves are found’ almost daily in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Lithuania’s Parliament on Tuesday that “new mass graves are found” almost daily in his country, a statement that adds to the grim testimonials of violence experienced during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“In the liberated areas of Ukraine, work continues to record and investigate war crimes committed by the Russian Federation. Almost every day new mass graves are found. Evidence is being gathered. Thousands and thousands of victims,” Zelensky said in his address to Lithuanian lawmakers.

“Hundreds of cases of brutal torture. Human corpses are still found in manholes and basements. Tied up, mutilated bodies. There are villages, once quite large, which were left almost without inhabitants,” he continued.

Zelensky said that hundreds of allegations of rape have been recorded, even alleging that a baby had been raped by Russian forces. 

“This is the Russian military. ‘Defender’ of children. This is a ‘special operation’ planned in Moscow. This is the story of the struggle for the ‘Russian world,’” Zelensky said, mocking Moscow. “This is what the Russian army and Russian paratroopers will now be associated with.”

Zelensky urged that the European Union take strong action against Russia in its sixth round of sanctions against the country.

“We must do everything necessary now in the sixth package of sanctions. The European Union can do that. And it must do that. It must include oil there. It must impose sanctions on Russian banks — on all of them, not part. No demonstrations needed,” Zelensky said.

“Specific deadlines must finally be set for each EU state in order to really abandon or at least significantly limit the consumption of Russian gas, oil, etc.”

Zelensky’s remarks come amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, now in its second month. Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials have shared reports of atrocities in areas like central Bucha and the eastern cities of Kramatorsk and Mariupol.

Last week, Russian forces attacked a train station in Kramatorsk where civilians were being evacuated. The blast from the rocket attack killed and injured dozens of Ukrainians.

UNICEF Emergency Programmes Director Manuel Fontaine said on Monday that close to two-thirds of children in Ukraine alone have been displaced by conflict, which has created a humanitarian crisis.