Calling it as "another production by the Kiev regime for the Western media'', Russia has slammed accusations of allegedly killing civilians in Bucha, a town about 26 kms northwest of the Ukrainian capital.

Russian troops have been accused of committing atrocities as photos and videos from Bucha depicting killing of civilians in Ukraine have gone viral on social media.

While the United Kingdom said that increasing evidence of appalling acts by the invading forces in towns such as Irpin and Bucha is emerging as the Russian troops are forced into retreat, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Sunday called for an independent investigation, saying he is "deeply shocked" by the images of civilians killed in Bucha.

"You can't help but see these images as a punch to the gut. And look, we've said before Russia's aggression that we thought it was likely that they would commit atrocities," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Washington.

However, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Monday that it was the Ukrainian forces which shot at people in Bucha – regardless of whether they were carrying weapons or not.

Moscow said that during the time that the town has been under the control of the Russian armed forces, not a single local resident has suffered from any violent action and, in fact, the Russian servicemen delivered and distributed 452 tonnes of humanitarian aid to civilians in the Kiev region.

"We would like to emphasise that all Russian units withdrew completely from Bucha as early as March 30, the day after the Russia-Ukraine face-to-face round of talks in Turkey. Moreover, on March 31, the mayor of Bucha, Anatoliy Fedoruk, confirmed in a video message that there were no Russian servicemen in the town, but he did not even mention any locals shot in the streets with their hands tied," said a statement from the Russian Defence Ministry.

Russia alleged that the southern outskirts of the city, including residential areas, were shelled round the clock by Ukrainian troops with large-calibre artillery, tanks and multiple launch rocket systems.

"It is not surprising, therefore, that all the so-called 'evidence of crimes' in Bucha did not emerge until the fourth day, when the Security Service of Ukraine and representatives of Ukrainian media arrived in the town. All this confirms conclusively that the photos and video footage from Bucha are another production by the Kiev regime for the Western media, as was the case in Mariupol with the maternity hospital, as well as in other cities," the statement added. 

Moscow has, "in the light of the heinous provocation of Ukrainian radicals in Bucha", also requested an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the issue, insisting that it sees such provocations as a direct threat to international peace and security.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov asserted that even as Moscow continues to cooperate with international partners, including the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to organise humanitarian convoys to Ukrainian cities such as Sumy, Kharkiv and Mariupol, fake materials are being presented as crimes of the Russian military with an openly provocative purpose.

"Unfortunately, attempts to politicize humanitarian issues, even to speculate on them, do not stop… The other day, another information attack was launched in the city of Bucha, Kiev region, after Russian military personnel left from there in accordance with the plans and agreements reached. A few days later, a staging was staged there, which Ukrainian representatives and their Western patrons disperse through all channels and social networks," Lavrov said during a meeting with UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Griffiths in Moscow today. 

That #OOPS moment when the truth comes out… even on the MSM. On air.

The unexpected reveal of "innocent patients" with assault rifles showcased how the Ukrainian military uses ambulances. That same modus operandi involves exploiting civilians and using them as human shields. pic.twitter.com/QEbaFG5Gzu

— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) March 31, 2022

Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is using her trip to Poland to call for tougher sanctions against Russia ahead of talks with NATO and G7 allies later in the week.

Truss is meeting her Ukrainian counterpart Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba in Warsaw Monday evening and her Polish counterpart Zbigniew Rau in the Polish capital on Tuesday.

"Putin is yet to show he is serious about diplomacy. A tough approach from the UK and our allies is vital to strengthen Ukraine's hand in negotiations," said Truss.

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