Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said Russia is regrouping its troops to gain a tactical advantage in the south of the country, storing fuel and organizing hospitals for an influx of wounded as it prepares for a new offensive. Kyiv officials also warned of a coming attack on Kharkiv in the north.
The U.S. said it may impose further sanctions this week, as the world’s attention focused on allegations that Russian troops massacred civilians in Bucha and other towns. President Joe Biden said his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin could face a war crimes trial.
Biden’s top national security aide said the U.S. isn’t ready to characterize the killings as “genocide,” the term used by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
The European Union said it will hold Russian authorities responsible for the alleged atrocities. Russia denied that its forces killed civilians.Russian troops are concentrating on an offensive operation to “encircle Ukrainian troops and to seize Kharkiv,” said Oleksandr Motuzyannyk, the spokesman for the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.
