Russia 'planned' attacks on Ukrainian civilians: National security adviser Sullivan

National security adviser Jake Sullivan called reports of Ukrainian civilians being targeted by Russian troops "horrifying...downright shocking," but not "surprising."

National security adviser Jake Sullivan said the latest reports of Ukrainian civilians being tortured and killed by Russian troops have been "horrifying...downright shocking, but they have not been surprising."

Sullivan told ABC News "This Week" Co-Anchor Jonathan Karl on Sunday that before the war began, declassified intelligence "indicated that there was a plan from the highest levels of the Russian government to target civilians who oppose the invasion."

"So this is something that was planned," he told Karl, adding that some units may have acted without direction from their leaders, frustrated by the level of opposition they've encountered from Ukrainians.

"I do think some of these units engaged in these acts of brutality, these atrocities, these war crimes, even without direction from above. But make no mistake, the larger issue of broad-scale war crimes and atrocities in Ukraine lies at the feet of the Kremlin and lies at the feet of the Russian president," he said.