A Japanese news anchor broke down in tears live on air while reading the news story of Vladimir Putin honouring troops in charge of the Bucha massacre. The anchor, Yumiko Matsuo, became overwhelmed with emotions as she told the viewers that the Russian President awarded the soldiers for being 'a role model for special military operations' in Ukraine.
The video, which has now gone viral on Reddit, has her momentarily pausing as she fought back tears of 'frustration' before gathering her composure to complete the segment. The news of the award ceremony has Putin congratulating the soldiers in a signed letter for "protecting Russia's sovereignty", stating further that the unit acted with "great heroism and courage."
"There are still many civilians stuck in the bunker. I'm so sorry, excuse me..." Matsuo said as she suddenly stopped during the live broadcast, according to Daily Mail. After taking a deep breath, she continued: "The Ukrainian war has entered a new phase..."
Users online praised the Japanese for airing this reaction of the news anchor with one of them saying, "For Japanese people to show this in public is a huge deal."
Another user added, "goes to show how deeply this all resonates on a soul-deep level. We all feel righteous rage and want to protect each other."
Putin's complete statement said, "through astute and bold actions during the special military operation in Ukraine, the unit's staff be staff became a role model in fulfilling its military duty, valour, dedication, and professionalism."
As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine intensifies, the Ukrainian cities continue to see the worst of Russian forces. With more than 500 burnt and mutilated bodies discovered in the Bucha massacre, countries around the world have called out Russia of its intentional attacks on government buildings, hospitals as well as schools in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence has accused the 64th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade of war crimes in the city of Bucha.
Even with proof of the charred remains of the civilians, Russia continues to deny the allegations calling the pictures of the the site to be a 'staged performance' by Kyiv.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno in a news conference stated that, 'killing numerous innocent civilians constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law and is a war crime, Russia's war crime must be punished.'
The new sanctions declared by UK earlier this week, have targeted Putin's 'war leaders', including the colonel who administered the mass murder civilians in Bucha. According to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office the ones 'commanding the front line' to commit 'heinous' acts in Ukraine will be the main focus of the sanctions, as reported by the Daily Mail.
According to the FCDO the list will include Lt Colonel Azatbek Omurbekov, a commanding officer in the Russian army who has a direct involvement with the 'Bucha massacre'; Colonel General Andrey Serdyukov, commander of airborne forces; Major General Valery Flyustikov, commander of special operations forces; and Colonel General Nikolay Bogdanovsky, first deputy chief of the general staff.
