U.S. report identifies 21 'filtration' locations run by Russia for processing Ukrainians

FILE PHOTO: A view shows the prison building which was damaged by shelling in July in the course of Ukraine-Russia conflict, in the settlement of Olenivka in the Donetsk Region, Ukraine August 10, 2022, in this picture taken during a media tour organised by the Russian Defence Ministry. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Russia and its proxy forces in Ukraine are operating 21 locations used to detain, interrogate and process prisoners of war and civilians, according to a new report https://hub.conflictobservatory.org/portal/apps/sites/#/home/pages/filtration-1 by Yale University researchers backed by the U.S. State Department as part of efforts to hold Moscow accountable.

The report, seen by Reuters ahead of its publication on Thursday, cites commercial satellite imagery and open-source information to identify with “high confidence” the separate locations - including facilities that previously served as schools, markets and regular prisons. It also identifies possible graves at one prison complex.