BUCHA, Ukraine (AP) — Bodies with bound hands, close-range gunshot wounds and signs of torture lay scattered in a city on the outskirts of Kyiv after Russian soldiers withdrew from the area.

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Ukrainian authorities on Sunday accused the departing forces of committing war crimes and leaving behind a "scene from a horror movie."

As images of the bodies began to emerge from Bucha, a slew of European leaders condemned the atrocities and called for tougher sanctions against Moscow.

Associated Press journalists saw the bodies of at least 21 people in various spots around Bucha.

Ukrainian officials laid the blame for the killings at the feet of Russian troops. Russia’s Defense Ministry rejected the accusations as "provocation."

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