INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The United States was expected to announce tough new sanctions on Russia Wednesday, including a ban on new investments, a day after
Ukraine's president showed the UN Security Council harrowing images of violence and accused Moscow of widespread atrocities.The sanctions
come after an outcry over the discovery of dozens of bodies in civilian clothing in areas from which Russian troops have withdrawn around
exclusion from the Council, where it holds veto power.Later in his nightly address, a frustrated Zelensky said Russia was blocking the UN
an interview with the BBC, the U.S
ambassador to the UN admitted that "no one can question [Zelensky's] frustration with the Council and how the Council operates.".But she
and elsewhere have galvanized support for Ukraine, with Washington announcing another $100 million in military aid, and produced new
momentum for additional sanctions on Moscow."We had already concluded that Russia committed war crimes in Ukraine, and the information from
Bucha appears to show further evidence of war crimes," a U.S
announce measures including a ban on all new investments in Russia
that they will target Russian government officials, their family members, Russian-owned financial institutions, also state-owned
is set to include oil and coal, France's foreign minister said at EU talks in Luxembourg.And Britain said it has so far frozen some $350
billion in assets from President Vladimir Putin's "war chest."As part of the push to isolate Moscow, Spain, Italy, Denmark and Slovenia
a total of some 180 expulsions in 48 hours.The Kremlin called it a "short-sighted move" that would complicate efforts to negotiate an end to
"monitor" its food exports to "hostile" nations, raising the specter of shortages and price spikes.Kremlin denialsThe Kremlin has denied any
civilian killings, claiming the images emerging from Bucha and other sites are fakes produced by Ukrainian forces, or that the deaths
occurred after Russian soldiers pulled out.At the Security Council meeting, Moscow's ambassador rejected Zelensky's claims, saying the
"ungrounded accusations..
are not confirmed by any eyewitnesses."But satellite photos taken while Bucha was still under Moscow's control show what appear to be bodies
seen Russian soldiers killing civilians."Right in front of my eyes, they fired on a man who was going to get food at the supermarket," said
43-year-old Olena, who declined to give her family name.During a grim cleanup, the remains of partially burned bodies in black bags were
lifted into a van, with officials telling journalists "dozens of bodies" remained in apartments and in nearby woods.Western nations have
given short shrift to Russia's denials."What we've seen in Bucha is not the random act of a rogue unit
It's a deliberate campaign to kill, to torture, to rape, to commit atrocities," U.S
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, who will visit Kyiv this week, has offered the bloc's
assistance in documenting proof of war crimes.Cluster bombsUkrainian authorities have warned that others areas may have suffered even worse
of Chernigiv, which was besieged from the early days of the invasion, a charred children's hospital, full of bullet and shrapnel holes,
flag."Cluster bombs were flying, we have traces of these bombs," said 51-year-old Olena Makoviy
"The injured were brought to the children's hospital, both adults and children."City officials estimate around 350 civilians have been
"They brought guys, handsome, young, but no longer alive."'We are ready'The Russian withdrawal from areas around Kyiv and the north is part
of a shift of focus toward Ukraine's southeast, in a bid to create a land bridge between occupied Crimea and Moscow-backed separatist
statelets in Donbas.NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance expects a Russian push in "coming weeks" to try to seize the entire
and are getting ready to attack," a senior Ukrainian officer on the ground told AFP
we've planned some surprises for them along the way."Civilians have been asked to evacuate west and on Tuesday a line of cars stretching 3
kilometers was waiting to pass a checkpoint, while thousands of other residents boarded trains to leave.And violence has continued
elsewhere, with Ukraine's prosecutor general saying Tuesday that bombing around Kyiv had killed 12 people.Peace talks between the sides have
so far gone nowhere, though Moscow says it is "ready" to continue.Ukraine has proposed an agreement where other countries would guarantee
its security in return for Kyiv accepting a neutral and non-nuclear status, not joining NATO and refusing to host foreign military bases.The
proposal would also see Russia accept Kyiv's admission to the European Union.
