Filenews 15 July 2022
Analysis of photos from satellites and social networking sites has revealed a large increase in the number of tombs in areas of Ukraine occupied by the Russian military, according to a report released today by NGOs.
The Centre for Information Resilience (CIR), an anti-disinformation organisation, analysed data on six regions of Ukraine that were or are still in the hands of Russian forces.
"Information from open sources can offer unprecedented access behind front lines and to zones occupied by Russian forces," said Benjamin Strik, director of investigations at the CIR.
At the Starokrimskee cemetery in Mariupol (southeast), for example, the authors of the survey estimate that in a five-month period, 1,000 new tombs were dug, from October 21, 2021 to March 28, 2022 — a month after the start of the war.
The rate of burials then increased rapidly, with 1,141 new graves visible from satellites from March 28 to May 12 and another 1,700 from May 12 to June 29, according to the NGO.
"Our report reflects the extreme pressure that continues to be exerted on political life in Ukraine," according to Mr. Strik, for whom "the makeshift graves and the increasing number of memorials, especially around the occupied zones, reflect in a shocking way the number of civilian deaths."
To reach these numbers, the authors of the survey cross-checked photos from satellites and photos bearing geolocation data, posted mainly on social networking sites.
The photographs also reveal large moats at two locations near Mariupol, Pionerske and Mangus, as well as tombs hastily dug around the city.
Kiev estimates that 22,000 civilians were killed in Mariupol, where the fiercest battles of the war have been fought so far.
In Kherson, a southern city also occupied by Russia's armed forces, the CIR estimates that between the start of the war and the beginning of April, 824 tombs were dug.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights estimates that there are 5,000 civilians killed in Ukraine, but it acknowledges that the death toll is in fact much heavier.
With information from ANA-MPA