Ukraine on Sunday said Kremlin propaganda laid the groundwork for civilian killings in Moscow's invasion, accusing Russian media of sowing hatred towards Ukrainians for years.
The discovery of civilian bodies in areas recently retaken by Ukraine has shocked the world. Kyiv calls them war crimes and has vowed to punish perpetrators.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Sunday cited civilian killings in the town of Bucha outside of Kyiv after bodies were discovered as the Russian army retreated from the area.
"Bucha did not happen in one day," he said on Twitter.
"For many years, Russian political elites and propaganda have been inciting hatred, dehumanising Ukrainians, nurturing Russian superiority and laying ground for these atrocities," Kuleba said.
Bodies have also been found in other towns near the capital after Russia's retreat.
Kuleba called for scholars to research the lead-up to the civilian killings in Bucha.
State television in Russia is tightly controlled by the Kremlin.
Since 2014, when Moscow annexed Ukraine's Crimea after a pro-Western revolt in Kyiv, it has been dominated by an anti-Ukraine narrative.
Russian state media portrays authorities in Kyiv as fascists, with President Vladimir Putin saying he aimed to "de-Nazify" Ukraine with his military offensive.
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