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Russian officials denied civilians were killed in Bucha amid reports that more than 300 residents were killed in the Ukrainian city, CBS News reports.
The Russian defense ministry claimed Ukrainian forces faked the gruesome scenes in the city as a "provocation," which has become a common tactic from Moscow amid the ongoing invasion of neighboring Ukraine, as well as Russia's long involvement in Syria's civil war.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called the scenes in Bucha a "fake attack" and said Russia was demanding "an urgent meeting of the Security Council on this particular issue because we see such provocations as a direct threat to international peace and security," following Bucha's mayor, Anatoliy Fedoruk, publicly announcing more than 300 civilians were killed by attacks from Russian forces.
United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet publicly condemned Russia for the horrific scenes in Bucha on Monday.
"I am horrified by the images of civilians lying dead on the streets and in improvised graves in the town of Bucha in Ukraine," Bachelet said in a statement obtained by CBS News. "Reports emerging from this and other areas raise serious and disturbing questions about possible war crimes, grave breaches of international humanitarian law and serious violations of international human rights law."
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his country would conduct military operations in Eastern Ukraine during an NBC News translation of a speech addressing the Russian population in Moscow on February 24.
The announcement appeared to serve as the final action ahead of an attack by Putin and the Russian military, which the U.S. and European allies to the neighboring Ukraine have attempted to prevent from taking place through diplomatic discussions.
A Ukraine interior minister confirmed to NBC News via text message that "cruise and ballistic missile strikes" were already underway shortly after Putin's announcement.
NBC News correspondent Erin McLaughlin said explosions could be heard from her live shot in Kyiv, Ukraine's capital city, at 6:00 a.m. local time.
More than 1,000 protesters were reportedly arrested during anti-war protests throughout Russia amid President Putin's announcement to conduct military operations and ensuing attack on Ukraine, BNO News reported.