Russia-Ukraine conflict: India condemns Bucha killings, calls for probe

External Affairs Minister of India, S Jaishankar condemned the Bucha killings in Ukraine and supported the call for an independent investigation.

Replying to India's stand on the Russia-Ukraine conflict in the lower house of the Parliament, he said, "Many MPs brought up the incident of killings in Bucha and I want to say that we are deeply disturbed by the reports. We strongly condemn the killings which have taken place there. It's an extremely serious matter and we support the call for an independent investigation."

Reports have said that more than 300 people have been killed and the total number of casualties was likely to increase as the whole city is being checked. Hundreds of civilian residents were found dead on the streets, beside their homes and in mass graves. Ukraine accused Russia of the Bucha massacre. However, Russia has denied the allegations and said that it was Ukrainian propaganda.

The Bucha killings have drawn criticism of Russia and pledges of further sanctions against Moscow from the West.

He reiterated that India is strongly against the Russia-Ukraine conflict and suggested in the Lok Sabha that the issue can be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.

"What is India advocating in Ukraine? We are, first and foremost, strongly against conflict. We believe that no solution can be arrived at by shedding blood and at the cost of innocent lives. In this day and age, dialogue and diplomacy are the right answers to any disputes," said Jaishankar.

The Minister underlined that the conflict has had significant consequences for the global economy, including India's. Like all other countries, we too are assessing the implications and deciding what is best in our national interest, he added.

Explaining India's stand over the Russia-Ukraine situation, he said: "What should India do in these circumstances? At a time when energy costs have spiked, we clearly need to ensure that the common person in India is not subjected to additional and unavoidable burden."