Bucha and the world's reaction, 3 April 2022

What did the world learn about the war around Kyiv on 3 April 2022? Above all, it learned what had been found in Bucha, a city recaptured by Ukrainian forces the previous day.

On 2 April, hundreds of civilians were reported dead on the streets of Bucha after Ukrainian forces retook the city. Journalists and Ukrainian forces said they had uncovered evidence of war crimes by the Russian military. The discovery came as Ukraine regained ground across the north: Ukraine's deputy defence minister, Hanna Maliar, said 30 towns and settlements had been returned to Ukrainian control around Kyiv and in the north after a mass Russian retreat. She said Irpin, Bucha, Hostomel and the whole Kyiv region had been liberated. Separate reports on 2 April said the last Russian troops had returned to Belarus, leaving Ukraine in full control of Kyiv Oblast. The Ukrainian flag was also raised over the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, and a ceremony honoured staff who had kept working under Russian occupation.

Reaction on 3 April

As reports of the massacre emerged, the United States, the European Union and NATO leaders reacted by accusing the Russian Armed Forces of war crimes and calling for more sanctions against Russia. On the same day, Human Rights Watch, an independent human rights group, said it had documented allegations of war crimes by Russian forces against civilians in Ukraine, including rape, summary execution and looting of civilian properties.

Fighting continued elsewhere

The war did not pause in other regions. On 3 April, large explosions were reported in the port city of Odesa, and residents were urged to seek shelter. Ukrainian officials said the Russian Air Force had fired missiles at the city and that some had been intercepted.

The previous day, residents of Enerhodar said Russian occupiers had violently dispersed a pro-Ukrainian demonstration, arresting several protesters and allegedly using explosions to break up the crowd. In Mariupol, Lithuanian documentary filmmaker Mantas Kvedaravičius was killed on 2 April. In Russia, more than 170 people were detained in anti-war protests across the country that day.

A message to the Grammys

The war also reached a global entertainment audience. At the 64th Annual Grammy Awards in Las Vegas, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared by pre-recorded video. He urged viewers to support his country during the invasion in any way they could. He also called on those present to tell the story and the truth about the war on social media and television.

Taken together, 3 April 2022 combined the first international responses to what had been found around Kyiv with continuing attacks in the south and an appeal for attention from a very different stage.