Mass graves around Mariupol continue to increase

DENYS KARLOVSKYI — THURSDAY, 12 MAY 2022, 19:31

Satellites recorded an increase in the length of mass grave sites in the villages around Mariupol.

Source: Skhemy with reference to satellite images of Planet Labs

Details: The satellite recorded that in May the mass burials of Mariupol residents in the village of Staryi Krym and the village of Vynohradne increased in size.

If we compare satellite images of the cemetery in Staryi Krym from 24 April to 8 May, the total length of the trench increased from 200 metres in April to 340 metres in May.

The number of trenches in Staryi Krym has increased.

In Vynohradne, the number of trenches in the photo from 6 May has significantly increased compared to 21 April.

Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko’s quote: "Now the Russian occupiers are trying to do everything to hide their war crimes. They are burying bodies in mass graves and using mobile crematoriums. That is, we understand that they need to hide more than 20,000 killed Mariupol residents.

But we continue to document these mass graves in order not to allow these crimes against Mariupol residents to be concealed."

Details: The mayor said that the Russian occupiers hurried to remove the corpses of the dead from the city centre until 9 May to show a "picture" for propaganda.

Local authorities have information that the Russian occupiers are forcing [people] to work on the territories of mass graves for "food, drinking water and medicine", which are catastrophically lacking in the city.

In addition, on 6 May, journalists noticed Russian military equipment on satellite images of the cemetery in Vynohradne. Experts said it looked like artillery.

Background: 

• Maxar Technologies satellites recorded that trenches 300 metres long appeared in late March in a field near Manhush, where the occupiers took the bodies of killed Mariupol residents.
• The Mariupol City Council estimates that up to 9,000 people can be buried in such trenches.
• A similar mass grave of satellites was recorded in the village of Vynohradne near Mariupol.

In late April, satellites revealed the appearance of a mass grave in the cemetery of Staryi Krym in the northwestern suburbs of Mariupol.