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April 5 (UPI) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will address the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, where he’s expected to ask for more help in view of even more Russian atrocities that he says are being discovered in areas recently left by Moscow’s forces.
Western governments began to ratchet up punishment this week against Moscow after images of dead civilians emerged from Ukraine over the weekend in areas around the capital Kyiv, such as Bucha. Ukrainian officials also said evidence of a torture chamber was found there.
World leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, have said the attacks against civilians amount to war crimes — and Biden added that Russian President Vladimir Putin should face trial for war crimes.
On Tuesday, Zelensky was expected to plead with the Security Council, the United Nations’ most powerful body, for more help to repel Russian forces and end the war. He’s also expected to ask the council for a war crimes investigation.
It is believed to be highly unlikely, however, that the Security Council will be able to do anything because Russia, which is a member of the council, has veto power.
Moscow has contended that the photos of dead civilians are “staged provocations” and is expected to use Tuesday’s session as a platform to blame Ukraine for the civilian attacks.
Ukrainian officials say more than 300 bodies have been found so far since Russian forces retreated from Bucha last week. Zelensky said he believes the total will only climb and more atrocities will be uncovered as officials clear more homes in the area.
Meanwhile, the European Commission announced on Tuesday that President Ursula von der Leyen and foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell will travel to Kyiv to meet with Zelensky in person.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola met with Zelensky last week in Kyiv and addressed a special session of the Ukrainian Parliament.
Last month, the prime ministers of Poland, Czech Republic and Slovenia traveled to Kyiv amid constant Russian shelling around the capital.
Russia’s military said on Tuesday that it struck a training center in southern Ukraine with missiles from ships offshore. Military spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the facility housed Ukrainian special operations forces.
He also said the Russian military hit fuel storage facilities in Kremenets, Cherkasy, Zaporizhzhia and Novomoskovsk.
It was reported Tuesday that Russian forces continued their pullback from around Kyiv, calling it a goodwill gesture after its troops faced stiff resistance there from Ukrainian forces.
