Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has called on Western leaders to step up military support to Kyiv against Russia’s aggression after new mass graves and evidence of torture have been found in liberated Ukrainian territories.
“Russia continues with its genocide against the Ukrainian nation. Mass graves and torture chambers in the city of Izium, which has been liberated by the Ukrainian army, is yet another horrible proof of that,” Nauseda said in a Facebook post. “Occupiers spread misery and death wherever they appear. Let’s have no illusions: they did that yesterday, they do it today, they will do it tomorrow.”
Kyiv officials say they have counted 450 graves at the mass burial site and found 10 alleged “torture centres” after the Kharkiv region was recaptured from Russians.
The mass burial site is probably one of the largest among those discovered in Ukraine during more than six months of Russia’s invasion.
According to Ukrainian authorities, many of the bodies exhumed showed signs of torture and violent death.
“The democratic world must speed up and step up support to Ukraine. By all means necessary but first of all by military means. More weapons, more ammunition,” Nauseda wrote adding that this was the only way to stop the torture of civilians, the killing and the war itself.
“Ukraine will do that, let’s just give it what is necessary. Now!” the Lithuanian president emphasised.
He said not a single war criminal would go unpunished and called to establish a special tribunal for the investigation of Russia’s war crimes as soon as possible.
“International community must ensure justice. This is the duty and responsibility of us all,” Nauseda wrote.
Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has also called for military support to Ukraine.
“Words failed to prevent mass graves. Condemnation alone won’t bring this genocide to an end. Tanks speak louder than words. ArmUkraineNow means now,” he said in a Twitter post. (LRT/Business World Magazine)
