Zelenskyy claims Borodyanka destruction 'much more horrific' than 'Bucha genocide'

Amid unrelenting resistance by Ukrainian forces against incessant attacks by Russia, embattled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on April 7 said that conditions in Borodyanka were worse than that in Bucha. Bucha recently hit the bulletin after Russian forces allegedly attacked residents and killed around 410 Ukrainian civilians. On April 3, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry stated that they discovered 410 bodies of slain Ukrainians in Bucha, Irpin and other towns and villages. It added that the fatalities and casualties of Russian armed forces "will be much higher". 

However, Zelenskyy's word alerted the international community on the ground reality of the war-ravaged country which the UN said will take decades to restore. Referring to the situation as 'significantly more dreadful', he said the city has a considerably higher number of Ukrainians who fell victim to attacks by 'Russian occupiers' than Bucha.  It is to mention that Borodyanka is situated nearly 25 kilometres from Bucha. 

In a video address that he posted on Telegram, Zelenskyy said, "The work is clear the rubble in Borodyanka has begun. It is significantly more dreadful there. Even more victims from the Russian occupiers."

'Borodyanka situation worse than Bucha genocide' says Zelenskyy

The alleged killing of Ukrainian in Bucha was heavily condemned by the international community, in fact, External Affairs Minister of India S Jaishankar, during his address in the Lok Sabha on April 6, raised serious concerns over the killings in Bucha and said that a probe should be ordered. Following the Bucha genocide, many countries expelled Russian officials and diplomats, accusing them of espionage. 

It may be noted that Russia absolutely denied carrying out atrocities against civilians in Bucha and Zelenskyy failed to establish or prove that Vladimir Putin's forces executed the innocents in Bucha. He further alleged similar 'war crimes' in the already devastated city of Mariupol. While Russia says it aims to free Russian-speaking places like Mariupol from Ukrainian nationalists and genocide, Zelenskyy has snubbed all such claims.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba shared images depicting horrors caused by retreating Russian armed forces in Bucha. In a tweet, the Ukrainian FM said, "Bucha massacre proves that Russian hatred towards Ukrainians is beyond anything Europe has seen since WWII."