NEW YORK — India has "unequivocally condemned" killings in Ukraine's Bucha and supported calls for an independent investigation into the "deeply disturbing reports".

Images of mass graves and bodies of civilians reportedly executed in the Kyiv suburb have shocked the world.

India's condemnation at the UN meeting is the strongest statement it has made since Russia invaded Ukraine.

Delhi has so far abstained from UN votes condemning Russia's actions.

In a statement on Tuesday at the UN Security Council meeting, India's permanent representative to the United Nations TS Tirumurti said the country "remained deeply concerned at the worsening situation and reiterates its call for immediate cessation of violence and end to hostilities".

"The situation in Ukraine has not shown any significant improvement since the Council last discussed the issue. The security situation has only deteriorated, as well as its humanitarian consequences," Tirumurti said.

"We hope the international community will continue to respond positively to the humanitarian needs. We support calls urging for guarantees of safe passage to deliver essential humanitarian and medical supplies."

India has a long history of pursuing a non-aligned foreign policy but is under pressure from Western countries over its diplomatic balancing act. Delhi and Moscow also share a decades-old relationship, and Russia is also India's biggest defence supplier.

India recently also placed contracts for nearly six million barrels of Russian crude after prices slumped in the wake of Western sanctions on Russia. But the Indian government says this is "literally a drop, in a larger bucket" of its oil imports globally.

Last week, Delhi was criticized by the US and Australia for considering a Russian offer that was seen as circumventing the sanctions.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday said that Washington wanted Delhi to scale down its defence dependence on Russia. — BBC