Russia-Ukraine war: What happened today (April 4)

As Monday draws to a close in Kyiv and in Moscow, here are the key developments of the day:

Images and reports of horrors from the Ukrainian town of Bucha, outside the capital, Kyiv, prompted new allegations of Russian war crimes. Photos of mass graves and devastation drew global condemnation against Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin. According to Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova, local officials found the bodies of 410 civilians in the Kyiv region.

Russia claims these images and reports are fake. The Kremlin is calling allegations of atrocities carried out by Russian forces around Kyiv a "provocation" by the West.

President Biden said the U.S. would seek more sanctions on Russia and said of Putin: "He is a war criminal." He noted that more evidence would need to be gathered to hold a war crime trial.

About two-thirds of the Russian forces arrayed outside Kyiv have now pulled back, a senior U.S. Defense Department official said. They have headed north toward Belarus, the official said, and some have crossed over.

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations wants Russia removed from the U.N. Human Rights Council. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield called Russian participation a "farce" and said Russia should not have a position of authority on the council. She said she will bring the matter before the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday and expects the General Assembly to take up the issue as early as Thursday.

In-depth

Pierre-Richard Prosper, a former U.S. ambassador at large and a former U.N. war crimes prosecutor, lays out what it takes to bring war crime allegations to trial.

Russian attacks leave catastrophic scenes.

Pro-Putin leaders in Hungary and Serbia win reelection as Europe grapples with war.

A Slovak man wanted to take donations to Ukraine. He ended up leading convoys of aid.

Earlier developments

You can read more news from Monday here, as well as more in-depth reporting and daily recaps here. Also, listen and subscribe to NPR's State of Ukraine podcast for updates throughout the day.

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