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Japan condemns reported Russian attacks on civilians in Ukraine

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Russia’s alleged attacks on civilians in the Ukrainian towns

These people did not do it to themselves and the Ukrainians are not trying to wipe themselves off the map. These are clearly Russian atrocities. There is no "alleged" about it.

45 ( +55 / -10 )

The comments released by both PM Kishida and Kantei office were clear and strong, which are quite extraordinary.

Let's hope for a swift international inquiry and bring to justice those responsible for the atrocities.

30 ( +38 / -8 )

BlacklabelToday  05:26 pm JST

The Azov battalion just happens to be in……Bucha.

Azov are in Mariupol, as they have been for the entire conflict - what makes you believe they have been in Bucha?

Meanwhile, bodies of Kadyrov's Chechen batallion actually have been found in Bucha. Kadyrovtsy terror techniques do involve rape, torture and public execution, however.

22 ( +27 / -5 )

BlacklabelToday  06:01 pm JST

Good job you found it!

J Michael Waller

“Senior Analyst for Strategy, Center for Security Policy. Founding editorial board member, NATO Defence Strategic Communications journal. “

this person has confirmed it after say no they are not there too. He would know?

Indeed I stand corrected!

However, from the article you're mentioning:

The brutality of the scenes are mirrored by some of the accounts from the report: One eyewitness from the town of Bucha described an execution there in early March, in which Russian soldiers forced five men to kneel on a roadside and pull their shirts over their heads before shooting one in the back of the head.

In another case, a 31-year-old woman described being beaten and raped repeatedly by a Russian soldier in a local school in Kharkiv, where she had been sheltering with her family. “I am lucky to be alive,” she said.

“The cases that we documented are corroborated by these recent allegations,” said Yulia Gorbunova, the author of the Human Rights Watch report, referring to the recent reports circulating from Bucha. “What is emerging now, if confirmed, is quite horrendous and gives an indication of the scale of these atrocities,” she said.

So we have survivors and eyewitness accounts of Russian rape and murder.

18 ( +19 / -1 )

WilliBToday  05:07 pm JST

"Japan condemns reported Russian attacks"

"Reported" by Ukrainian state media. This is a fog of war situation with propaganda from both sides

Why would the Ukranians kill their own civilians? Why would they bomb their own hospitals? If Russia thinks for a moment that all this is Ukranian propaganda all they have to do to prove it is withdraw entirely from Ukraine.

17 ( +27 / -10 )

Putin as well as the Russian military need to be charged with War Crimes. This whole Russian invasion of Ukraine is insane. Since WWII/Korea/Vietnam the world has worked toward maximizing military damage while minimizing civilian casualties. The militaries of democratic nations have usually issued an apology if their operations unintentionally killed civilians. But Putin has pushed the clock back to WWII by deliberately targeting civilians and civilian centers. This kind of behavior is supposed to be 20th century history, not April 2022.

16 ( +26 / -10 )

Believe Western media or not. That is your choice. At least, it is the very fact Russia STARTED WAR meaning

one of the most powerful nation employed the violence through weapons.

15 ( +19 / -4 )

Actually just searched for myself and all I can find is a single photo in this New York Times article showing a single soldier. The photo identifies the soldier as Azov, indeed, yet the article doesn't make any mention of Azov, so I wouldn't credit it as a reliable source.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/03/world/dead-civilians-bucha-ukraine.html

14 ( +14 / -0 )

"Surely at some point the people of Russia will get to see this savgery and also be disgusted by the actions of their leaders?"

The last to see it, if at all, will be the 15,000 political prisoners Putin imprisoned for opposing his rape of Ukraine. One can only home the people (at least his inner circle) will rise up and give Putin his due.

14 ( +17 / -3 )

Good lord! The barbarity of these Russians. Surely at some point the people of Russia will get to see this savgery and also be disgusted by the actions of their leaders?

12 ( +28 / -16 )

The Azov battalion just happens to be in……Bucha.

Curious where this latest info came from. CNN again? Or maybe @Morning Wind, or whatever the name of that kamikaze aircraft carrier was?

12 ( +17 / -5 )

BlacklabelToday  05:36 pm JST

what makes you believe they have been in Bucha?

Nothing much. Just pictures of them in Bucha. Would that be important at all if so? Or just another “so what?”

Why would the Azov batallion be stationed northwest of Kyiv when their base of operations is 600km away in Mariupol? If you can point me to evidence to the contrary, I would be happy to look, but it doesn't seem to fit with their entire MO of fighting seperatists in the east. I do not condone the actions of Azov in any way, let me make that clear, but your insinuations are rather troubling.

12 ( +17 / -5 )

Regarding the Azov battalion being in Bucha...

The NY Times has a picture which is described as showing soldiers from the Azov battalion walking through Bucha. However, there is no suggestion that they were involved in the reported atrocities.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/03/world/dead-civilians-bucha-ukraine.html

11 ( +11 / -0 )

how would anyone on this website actually KNOW where any military is or is not?

Well, we know the Ukrainian military is in Ukraine because, like, you know, it's their country.

And we know the russian (they've lost the right to be capitalised) military is in Ukraine because they're invaders.

The Ukrainians, whether they're in the east, the west, the north or the south of the country, are in their own country, protecting it from invasion. They have every right to be there, and then some.

The russians are invading and trying to destroy a sovereign country. They have no right to be there at all.

If the russians stayed home, there would be no violence, no atrocities, no war crimes.

The buck stops with Vlad of the Long Table, Destroyer of Cities, Bomber of Hospitals and Schools.

11 ( +19 / -8 )

A resounding defeat for the Russians around Kyiv, with serious casualties and loss of materiel. The bodies of Russian servicemen were piled up at Hostomel when the Ukrainians liberated the airfield there.

Watch for a similar defeat unfolding for the Russians in the Donbas area in the coming weeks as a lack of supply, manpower issues, and ongoing Ukrainian resistance break the Russian army down. NATO intelligence and weaponry/equipment also playing a big role.

Putin gambled big, and will lose big.

10 ( +21 / -11 )

Japan should totally boycott Russia, I guess I will get lots of down-votes, even other sensible comments are down-voted, the Japan today must be read by Russian supporters!

9 ( +14 / -5 )

It isn’t just Poo tin and his generals who must face a new Nuremberg, they may hold ultimate responsibility but it is the lower level officers who pick the murder victims and it is the individual soldiers who put a gun barrel to the back of their heads and blow their brain matter and bits of skull across the ground.

What is being revealed here is classic Russian counter insurgency doctrine they have applied in Chechnya, Afghanistan, and in WW2; utterly barbaric and ultimately counter productive but very much in line with KGB/FSB methodology and what Poo tin was inculcated with.

9 ( +12 / -3 )

It is obvious Russian soldiers did this. Suggesting otherwise is just nonsense (intentional or unintentional). This kind of thing happens in every war when soldiers in the invading army lose their sense of humanity. In this case, unfortunately it looks like they really lost it.

9 ( +18 / -9 )

Unforgivable what the fascist Russians are doing to innocent Ukrainian civilians. The Japanese government is right to call this out, along with the free world.

Make no mistake : these fascist invaders WILL face an international court for war crimes. It may not be soon, but it will happen.

In the meantime, every invader will hopefully be targetted by snipers, bombs and javelin missiles and chased out of Sovereign Ukraine like the cowards they are.

8 ( +19 / -11 )

Choose open, objective news reporting over ANY form of censorship ANYDAY.

Apologies to the families and those shocked but showing the bodies of those tortured, slain & left in the streets or in open, mass graves should be done here daily so people realize these were real people and Putin’s war on Ukraine is very real.

Still, a disclaimer like the intro to broadcast news wouldn’t hurt:

@letsberealistic 4:52pm:

*- “Warnings please if you are going to show dead bodies.”*

7 ( +17 / -10 )

So what justice PM Kishida talking about?

For such things you should be neutral.

Your type would have argued for nations to "be neutral" as Nazi Germany rampaged through Europe too.

The honorable majority of people in the free world- and nations like Japan - are standing up to Russian fascism. And they stand with sovereign, free Ukraine as being on the right side of history.

7 ( +13 / -6 )

And China and India just stand by Putin.

It really shouldn't be acceptable to just say your neutral or no comment in a situation like this.

China, I can expect this from because they always just do whatever is opposed to the US position.

India, I thought I knew better and have (had) a lot of respect for. Now I know better.

7 ( +11 / -4 )

Counter attack. Take back Crimea, then march to Moscow on a road of bones. Show Bald Hitler just how badly he underestimated the Ukrainians.

This is not war....It's cold blooded murder!

5 ( +10 / -5 )

It is totally unbelievable that this cruelty and inhumanity is being carried out now, in the year 2022 - have no lessons been learned from history ?

The Butcher of Bucha WILL ultimately be held to account for this abhorrent blood-letting, death, maiming, torturing, which have occurred throughout Ukraine; but in order for this to happen, it is absolutely essential that all of the Allies work together as one in sending their top military and forensic teams to detail precisely what has taken place, in conjunction with the UN, however horrific this task will be, because without such painstaking work, the evidence will be lost, or adulterated to suit the Russian dialogue. This must not be allowed to happen, as the world demands some sort of justice for the people of Ukraine.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

AgentXToday  05:52 pm JST

Since WWII/Korea/Vietnam the world has worked toward maximizing military damage while minimizing civilian casualties.

LOFL!

Yeah, those nukes are only to be aimed at dudes holding guns...

This may be news to you but no nukes have been used since 1945. If you paid any attention to military conflicts since then with convebntional warfare you would comprehend my statement.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Strong words … certainly more than the usual “very regrettable”

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Apologies, this part got trapped in the quotation section:

"Even a cursory look at the story would inform you that these atrocities happened north of Kyiv in the suburbs of Bucha and Irpin."

1 ( +5 / -4 )

We should not automatically assume the Russians did this. Look back at how the Ukrainian revolution started, with Ukranian snipers shooting at Ukrainian citizens and Ukranian police.

They will sacrifice some of their own if it can further their agenda.

At least the article had the decency to include "reported" and "alleged".

Deja-vu beyond 80+ years.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

An international investigation is needed but must be done right now.

Russia could have destroyed all cities by air bombing and did not. I am wondering what is the interest to leave with such evidence such a massacre, reported by Ukraine three days after the liberation of the city. Are some units clearly not following the orders. Certainly

1 ( +6 / -5 )

Kishida said "Japan will firmly carry out what it should do" while cooperating with the international society in possible further sanctions against Russia.

So no more Russian gas?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

I’ve never heard such strong words uttered by Japanese officials about China’s “alleged” atrocities in Tibet and Xinjiang.

-2 ( +9 / -11 )

The mere presence of the Russian invaders puts every Ukrainian at risk. These atrocities may have been committed by Russians or they may have been committed by Ukrainians, but the Ukrainians would have a scapegoat if it were them. It makes it extremely difficult to judge what is going on, but the one truth that is absolute… Russia’s invasion is illegal.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Didn’t say they were.

And I didn't say they weren't. I find the very existence of the Azov battalion weird. There have been a lot of uncomfortable things about Ukraine's politics in recent years. But just to be clear, that doesn't give any justification to this Russian invasion. But it does perhaps point to problems with many Western countries for not more strongly addressing such issues earlier.

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

How nice of media to push a specific narrative, only subtly adding a 'reported' or 'highly likely' phrase.

Yeah, but that is another reality here and there where flies are attached to ...

-7 ( +2 / -9 )

First Japan needs to do a fact check

-10 ( +12 / -22 )

Ikan-desu cannon condemning is useless. need enemy base strike capabilities , for peace.

Unfortunately, Japan shares the border with this evil empire yet.

 This is a fog of war situation with propaganda from both sides. But while Russian propaganda is either completely blanked out or dismissed, Ukrainian propaganda is taken at face value by our media and politicians. This is not a way to form an opinion.

And yet, world history is constructed such way by final winners, so was Nanking, Unit731, CW....

-12 ( +5 / -17 )

Since WWII/Korea/Vietnam the world has worked toward maximizing military damage while minimizing civilian casualties.

LOFL!

Yeah, those nukes are only to be aimed at dudes holding guns...

-12 ( +3 / -15 )

According to independent several Russian soldiers were poisoned so...

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/russian-soldiers-poisoned-civilians-izium-b2049955.html

-12 ( +0 / -12 )

albaleo

And I didn't say they weren't. I find the very existence of the Azov battalion weird. There have been a lot of uncomfortable things about Ukraine's politics in recent years

You can say that again. And they are officiall integrated into the Ukrainian armed forces. Correct me if I am wrong, but to knowledge Ukraine is the only government that today has an unabashed and openly neonazi battalion in its armed forces. And since these guys are holed up in Mariopol and can not possibly surrend or disguise themselves (they pride themselves on their tatoos), the fighting there will be brutal. But do not expect such details to appear in the mainstream news.

-12 ( +2 / -14 )

These people did not do it to themselves and the Ukrainians are not trying to wipe themselves off the map.

We should not automatically assume the Russians did this. Look back at how the Ukrainian revolution started, with Ukranian snipers shooting at Ukrainian citizens and Ukranian police.

They will sacrifice some of their own if it can further their agenda.

At least the article had the decency to include "reported" and "alleged".

-14 ( +11 / -25 )

Good job you found it!

J Michael Waller

“Senior Analyst for Strategy, Center for Security Policy. Founding editorial board member, NATO Defence Strategic Communications journal. “

this person has confirmed it after say no they are not there too. He would know?

Sorry, folks, I stand corrected. In an article about a Human Rights Watch report on Russian atrocities in Ukraine, the NYT used an apparently recent photo of soldiers from the Azov regiment with the caption that they are in Bucha.

-14 ( +1 / -15 )

However, there is no suggestion that they were involved in the reported atrocities.

Didn’t say they were. But 20 minutes ago all of you swore they weren’t there. No way! But they are there. In the exact place for no apparent reason. Interesting isn’t it?

let the “so what” begin.

-14 ( +3 / -17 )

showing a single soldier.

no there is more than 1 soldier in that picture. The caption:

“Ukrainian soldiers from the Azov battalion in Bucha, a town northwest of Kyiv, where footage showed scattered bodies and widespread destruction on the streets on Saturday.Credit...Daniel Berehulak for The New York Times”

-14 ( +1 / -15 )

klausdorth

Also, please don't tell me those are biased reports, because they are not (fact)!

How do you define "fact"?

-14 ( +2 / -16 )

Why would the Azov batallion be stationed northwest of Kyiv 

Yes why would they? Very good question. They don’t have to be “stationed” somewhere to be there.

yet there they are:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/03/world/europe/russia-war-crimes-ukraine.html

-16 ( +4 / -20 )

The comments released by both PM Kishida and Kantei office were clear and strong, which are quite extraordinary.

Let's hope for a swift international inquir

urely at some point the people of Russia will get to see this savgery and also be disgusted by the actions of their leaders?

The main problem here - nobody belived to enemy.

In this conflict Japan from the first day was on Ukrainian side.

So what justice PM Kishida talking about?

For such things you should be neutral.

-18 ( +5 / -23 )

are your suggesting these atrocities were committed by the Azov?

Who knows? Who already decided Russia did it and how? All the posters here are already super certain.

just like they were super certain Azov wasn’t there. Until now. See how easy the media can manipulate and lack of information is pushed as truth?

-19 ( +7 / -26 )

So would this matter at all if I can prove Azov was there?

if not, I won’t bother. You have already tipped your hand by implying you wouldn’t believe even CNN. You just don’t WANT to believe it. So I wl just get a bunch of “so what” or attacks on the website link.

how would anyone on this website actually KNOW where any military is or is not?

-26 ( +5 / -31 )

The Azov battalion just happens to be in……Bucha.

-31 ( +8 / -39 )

"Japan condemns reported Russian attacks"

"Reported" by Ukrainian state media. This is a fog of war situation with propaganda from both sides. But while Russian propaganda is either completely blanked out or dismissed, Ukrainian propaganda is taken at face value by our media and politicians. This is not a way to form an opinion.

-48 ( +17 / -65 )

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