UN secretary-general António Guterres has called for an independent investigation into Russian troops’ massacre of civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, a suburb of the capital, Kyiv.

“I am deeply shocked by the images of civilians killed in Bucha, Ukraine. It is essential that an independent investigation leads to effective accountability,” Mr Guterres said on his official Twitter account.

According to international media reports, images had emerged of bodies found in streets and yards in the wake of Russian withdrawal from the area, following weeks of intense fighting.

Osnat Lubrani, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, shared the statement on Twitter.

“Ukrainians are enduring a living hell for more than a month, thousands of civilians have died,” she wrote. “This horrific war needs to stop.”

The UN continued to press for an end to the war in Ukraine, which the secretary-general had described as “unwinnable.”

The conflict began on February 24, when Russia invaded Ukraine. Since then, 3,455 civilian casualties have been recorded, according to the latest update from the UN human rights office, OHCHR, published on Sunday.

Of that number, 1,417 persons were killed and 2,038 injured, though real figures were believed to be considerably higher.

Most casualties were caused by explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, missiles and airstrikes.

(NAN)