The discovery of civilians' bodies on the streets of Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv, has sparked international condemnation, calls for an investigation into possible Russian war crimes and vows that new sanctions are coming.

Scenes of horror and devastation emerged as Russian troops withdrew from towns they had seized in the opening days of the invasion of Ukraine. Bucha Mayor Anatoly Fedoruk told The Washington Post that about 270 residents had been buried in two graves. He estimated that 40 bodies were littered on the streets.

American and European leaders decried the grim images, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling them "a punch to the gut." NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the Bucha scenes reflected "brutality against civilians we haven't seen in Europe for decades."

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Russian attack on his nation amounted to a genocide.

Meanwhile, explosions rocked Odessa early on Sunday as Russia said its missiles struck an oil refinery and fuel storage facilities - the first strike on the strategic Black Sea city's downtown as the war in Ukraine grinds into its 39th day.

Odessa has long been considered a target for the Russian military because it is an economically vital port, but with Moscow's ground forces unable to advance past Mykolaiv, about 112km east, Odessa has largely been spared from attacks. Local businesses and even the zoo have reopened in the past week.

Britain's Ministry of Defence said on Sunday that Russia's navy is strategically blockading the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov to prevent Ukraine from rearming. At another battered port city, Mariupol, Ukrainians will also face "difficult" fights ahead, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky warned, as Moscow vies for a strategic victory that would free up thousands of troops to fight elsewhere.

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As Moscow's forces seek to make gains in the country's south and east, cities on the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea are coming into renewed focus, setting the stage for a new phase in the conflict that military analysts warn could be long and bloody.

Russia's chief negotiator on Sunday shut down the idea of a possible meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky, a day after his Ukrainian counterpart said peace talks had advanced to the point where a sit-down between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders was possible.

The International Committee of the Red Cross told The Post on Sunday that its team would spend another night en route to Mariupo" and had "yet to reach the city." The humanitarian convoy has been trying to reach the besieged southeastern city for several days.