US and allies to hit Russia with new sanctions as outrage over Bucha killings grows

Pope Francis has kissed a battered Ukrainian flag brought to him from the Ukrainian city of Bucha, and called again for an end to the war.

Tanya Nedashkivs'ka, 57, mourns the death of her husband on the site where he was buried, in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, April 4, 2022. Picture: AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd

The United States and its allies on Wednesday prepared new sanctions on Moscow over civilian killings which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as "war crimes", as heavy fighting and Russian airstrikes pounded the besieged port of Mariupol.

The southern city of Mariupol has been under attack by Russian forces and constantly bombarded since the early days of the invasion almost six weeks ago, trapping tens of thousands of residents without food, water or power.