More sanctions on Russia, US says a response to Bucha 'war crimes'

The US and the European Union are set to impose additional sanctions on Russia on Wednesday in response to Ukraine's allegations that Russian troops committed war crimes in the town of Bucha, reports BBC.

Calls for further sanctions have grown in recent days amid allegations of Russian atrocities in Bucha.

The town's mayor told the BBC on Tuesday night that Russian forces had killed around 320 civilians during their occupation of the town, while the discovery of mass graves outskirts of kyiv has caused outage in western capitals.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the US would ban new investment in Russia and place further sanctions on Russian financial institutions, as well as Kremlin officials and their families.

Psaki said the move will "hold accountable the Russian kleptocracy that funds and supports Putin's war".

The wall street Journal reports that Washington is considering additional sanctions against Putin's two daughters and Sberbank, Russia's largest bank.

On Wednesday, EU ambassadors will consider plans for a fifth package of sanctions that includes banning imports of Russian coal, and preventing most Russian- owned or operated ships from using EU ports.

The Czech Republic has reportedly become the first EU country to directly supply Ukraine with offensive weapons since the Russian invasion began 41 days ago. Though Jana Cernochova, Defence Minister of Csech Republic, has denied to detail more about the form of aids being supplied to Ukraine. 

On Sunday, Ukraine claimed to have found 410 bodies in towns near Kyiv as part of an investigation into possible war crimes by Russia but some witnesses are so traumatised by their ordeal that they are unable to speak, according to Reuters. 

Ukraine, which retook control of the whole Kyiv region from the Russian army this weekend, has accused Moscow of a "deliberate massacre" in the town of Bucha, 30 kilometres (19 miles) north-west of the capital.

On Tuesday, the European Commission proposed broad new sanctions on Russia, including a potential ban on imports of Russian coal and additional measures targeting state-owned businesses and officials and oligarchs in Moscow.

The proposed ban on Russian coal, which must be agreed by all 27 member states, would mark the first time the EU has blocked imports of Russian energy.