By Fuat Kabakci

ANKARA (AA) - The images of the massacre reported by media from various regions near Kyiv, including Bucha and Irpin, are ”horrifying,” the Turkish Embassy in Kyiv said on Monday.

The embassy said on Twitter: "We sincerely share the pain of the friendly Ukrainian people."

"The targeting of innocent civilians is never acceptable. It is our basic expectation that the matter will be subject to an independent investigation and those responsible will be identified," it noted.

"As it has been since the first day of the war, Turkiye will continue to work to end such shameful scenes for humanity and to ensure peace as soon as possible."

On Sunday, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova said 410 civilian bodies were recovered from areas in the wider Kyiv region, while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an independent investigation into the issue.

"I am deeply shocked by the images of civilians killed in Bucha, Ukraine," Guterres said on Twitter.

The US, UK, Germany, and some EU countries have also accused Russia of committing “war crimes” in Ukraine, following reports of alleged atrocities in Bucha.

The Russian war against Ukraine, which started on Feb. 24, has been met with international outrage, with the European Union, US and UK among others implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.

At least 1,430 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and 2,097 injured, according to UN estimates, with the true figure feared to be far higher.

More than 4.21 million Ukrainians have also fled to other countries, with millions more internally displaced, according to the UN refugee agency.