Third mass grave on Mariupol’s outskirts identified using satellite imaging
Denys Karlovskyi – Monday, 25 April 2022, 18:25
Satellite images have recorded the appearance of a third mass grave of Mariupol civilians on the city’s outskirts.
Source: Radio Svoboda (Liberty) Skhemy investigative reporting project, citing Planet Labs satellite images
Details: Satellite images have recorded the appearance of a 200-metre-long trench in the village of Staryi Krym, 5 km from Mariupol. It is likely to be another mass burial site for Mariupol civilians killed by Russian occupation forces.
On the satellite image from 24 March, 3 trenches are seen to have appeared on the cemetery near Staryi Krym, one of them 60-70 metres long.
The image from 7 April shows that the trenches have become longer, and some parts that were dug earlier have already been covered up with earth.
Eventually reporters obtained the images from 24 April, taken a month after the original image, which show the appearance of new trenches. The total length of the mass graves is now estimated to reach over 200 metres.
Vadym Boichenko, Mayor of Mariupol, confirmed in a commentary for Skhemy that Russian occupiers are burying the Mariupol civilians that they kill in such trenches, in particular in Staryi Krym.
According to Boichenko: "We know about these mass graves because these fascists – and I simply have no other word for them – get local residents to help with the burials in exchange for food.
They [the local residents] are the ones who told us that you have to toil for a certain number of hours to be given food and water… Mariupol is not getting enough humanitarian aid right now, so people are forced to do this."
Details: The village of Staryi Krym is located 5 km outside of Mariupol. It was captured by the Russian occupation forces on 10 March.
Background:
- At the end of March, Maxar Technologies satellites recorded the appearance of a 300-metre-long trench near Manhush, a site where civilians killed in Mariupol were buried in a mass grave.
- Mariupol City Council estimated that up to 9,000 civilians could be buried in such trenches.
- A similar mass grave was recorded by a satellite in the village of Vynogradne not far from Mariupol.
