Blinken accuses Russia of 'deliberate campaign' to kill, torture, rape civilians

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Blinken accuses Russia of 'deliberate campaign' to kill, torture, rape civilians

Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with reporters Tuesday, March 5, 2022, before departing for Europe.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Russia on Tuesday of carrying out "a deliberate campaign to kill, to torture, to rape, to commit atrocities" in Ukraine following the emergence of civilian bodies in cities like Bucha. 

Blinken made the remark ahead of meetings in Belgium this week with NATO and G7 foreign ministers. 

"As this Russian tide is receding from parts of Ukraine, the world is seeing the death and destruction left in its wake. And we are seeing in particular the horror that has been left behind in Bucha. Something that is touching people literally around the world," Blinken said. 

A Ukrainian soldier walks with children passing destroyed cars in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday. ((AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

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"What we have seen in Bucha is not the random act of a rogue unit. It’s a deliberate campaign to kill, to torture, to rape, to commit atrocities," he continued. "The reports are more than credible, the evidence is there for the world to see." 

Blinken said the atrocities "reinforces our determination and the determination of countries around the world to make sure that one way or another – one day or another – there is accountability for those who committed these acts, for those who ordered them." 

He also said the U.S. and other countries are working together to document the atrocities. 

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"We said before the [Russian] aggression that we anticipated that if it went forward, there would be atrocities committed. Information that we have seen going into the aggression suggested that this would be part of the Russian campaign," Blinken told reporters. 

"Horrifically, tragically what we are seeing in Bucha and in other places supports that. But in all of these instances there is a very important effort to put the evidence together, to compile it, to document it, to support the different investigations that are going on," he added. "That is what we are doing, that is what others are doing."