US says Russia forcing Ukrainians into ‘filtration camps’
- US official says thousands of Ukrainians have been sent to camps in Russia or Russian-controlled territory
- Some detainees reportedly had their phones searched for signs of opposition to the ongoing war
The United States has accused Russia of forcibly taking onto territory under its control tens of thousands of Ukrainians, often singled out for their resistance to the invasion.
The remarks support allegations by the Ukrainian government which estimates nearly 1.2 million people have been deported into Russia or Russian-controlled territory and has denounced so-called “filtration camps” in which Moscow interrogates detained people.
Michael Carpenter, the US ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said that witness testimony attests to “brutal interrogations” in the camps.
He said that some detainees reportedly had their phones confiscated and searched for any signs of opposition to President Vladimir Putin’s ongoing war.
“Accounts of this brutality and forced displacement are happening right now, as we speak, and these actions amount to war crimes,” Carpenter told the organisation in Vienna on Thursday.
“We must not allow this evil to stand,” he said.