Russia destroys mass graves near Mariupol, satellite images suggest
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Mariupol’s city council, operating in exile since Russia occupied the city in 2022, published on April 21 satellite images indicating the destruction of a mass burial site in the settlement of Mangush near Mariupol.
The site was used to bury residents who died during the Russian siege of the city in 2022, according to Ukraine’s Center for the Study of Occupation.
The center analyzed satellite imagery of the burial site taken from 2022 to 2026. The area, where Russian forces had reportedly established some of the first mass graves, now appears to have been converted into what is describes as a road repair site.
According to preliminary estimates, at least 22,000 civilians were killed during the 86-day Russian siege of Mariupol, center reports.
“The actual number of victims may be significantly higher. Russian occupiers are concealing the true scale of the losses, as well as war crimes committed during the encirclement, bombardment, and occupation of the city,” the Mariupol City Council said.
Russian authorities deny responsibility for war crimes in Mariupol and do not acknowledge the reported death toll, widely describing their actions in the city as liberation. Excavation of mass graves and identification of victims will likely only be possible after the city is de-occupied.
With Mariupol now in its fifth year under Russian occupation and evidence on the ground increasingly being destroyed, prospects for justice for victims of the siege are diminishing.
The Ukrainian documentary 20 Days in Mariupol, directed by Mstyslav Chernov, portrays part of the siege and won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature at the 96th Academy Awards in 2024.
