US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said he had seen reports of a mass burial in Izyum: it was "part, horrifically, of a continuing, ongoing story."
He announced his position at a press conference on September 16 at the State Department.
Blinken said it was necessary to create an evidence base and document the atrocities committed, "in many instances, these will amount to war crimes".
Blinken reiterated that the US does not intend to recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, because from a practical point of view, the US already applies the punishments that are provided for by such recognition. He also said that being recognized as a terrorist could have "unintended consequences".
Exhumation of people who died as a result of hostilities in the city of Izyum, September 16, 2022.
Getty Images / «Babel'»
EU High Representative Josep Borrell said he was "deeply shocked" by the mass burials in Izyum. Borrell emphasized that Russia and all those involved in this will bear responsibility, and the EU supports all efforts for this.
- In general, several torture chambers, 50 bodies of dead civilians, and 445 burials near Izium were discovered in the de-occupied part of the Kharkiv region.