Western media learns what hell Ukrainians are going through during “filtration” by the occupiers

ROMAN PETRENKO – FRIDAY, 17 JUNE 2022, 10:58

Ukrainians who end up in Russian "filtration camps" in the occupied territories undergo torture, beatings and interrogations.

Source: BBC

Details: Ukrainians trying to leave Russian-occupied cities cannot do so without going through a process called "filtration."

People have their phones confiscated, and their social media accounts examined; they are undressed, their bodies are examined carefully, tattoos are checked, and the occupiers look for bruises on their shoulders and fingers that may suggest the recent use of weapons.

Anything that seems suspicious to inspectors can lead to beatings or even electric shocks, civilians say. Many are forcibly sent to Russia.

One man said that he deleted all the files from his phone, although the occupiers then tried to recover them using a computer. However, he said that he did not have time to "clean up" his social media – the internet was cut off in Mariupol. They found a video on his Instagram where he’d written: "A president we can be proud of. Go home with your warship!" For that, he was beaten. 

Another Ukrainian, a history teacher, was found with the word "Ruscist" on his phone – he was beaten and kicked. He was then labelled as a person who spreads pro-Ukrainian propaganda, and asked about the "events of 2014" when Russia occupied Crimea and started the war in Donbas. He was asked if he agreed that it was "a Ukrainian civil war", then they found a photo of a book cover with the letter "H" in its title and thought it was about Hitler.

After that, the teacher was transferred to a prison, where he counted 24 people in a cell with four bunk beds. A couple of days later, he was released into Ukrainian-controlled territory.

Another man saw people with their hands tied behind their backs being beaten in an  interrogation tent in Bezimenne, a small village to the east of Mariupol.

People report that soldiers are torturing Ukrainians to the point of unconsciousness with severe blows and electric shocks. Many are released only if they agree to head for Russia.

There is another room in the filtration camp, which is called a "cage." People there received no water or food, and had to urinate in the corner, in front of everyone.

One former prisoner believes that the occupiers used the filtration mechanism "to show their absolute power".

Some of those sent to Russia were able to travel to other countries and in some cases return to Ukraine.

Reminder: Commander of the Azov National Guard Regiment of Ukraine, Denys Prokopenko, called his wife Kateryna, who also received information that the Russians were holding Ukrainian soldiers in satisfactory conditions.