UK MoD: Over 2.5mn Ukrainians moved to Russia, many being 'mistreated' in filtration camps

Amid the ongoing war between Moscow and Kyiv, the UK Defence Ministry on Friday said that the Russian forces have been gradually advancing westwards in Donbass. The ministry stated that Russian armed forces have been conducting an offensive in Siversk to open a route towards Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. The British MoD underscored that more than 2.5 million people have been moved from Ukraine to Russia since the onset of the military conflict. 

"Over 2.5m people have now been evacuated from Ukraine to Russia since the start of the invasion. Russia continues to face accusations that it is forcibly deporting Ukrainians; in many cases Ukrainians have reportedly been mistreated in filtration camps set up by Russia," the UK Defence Ministry said in the intelligence update.

The British intelligence further said that Russia has been facing accusations of forcibly deporting Ukrainians and many of them have been mistreated in "filtration camps" created by Russia. Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his virtual address at the Asian Leadership Conference had said that Russia has deported two million people from Ukraine and accused Moscow of forcibly setting up "filtration camps." Zelenskyy had further added that the people who have been deported are "intimated" and moved to remote areas of Russia in order to make it difficult for them to return to their nation. 

Russia trying to stop Ukraine from using Snake Island: UK

Furthermore, the UK MoD said that Russian and pro-Russian Luhansk People's Republic separatist forces have claimed to have entered the outskirts of Siversk, however, it has not been corroborated. The British Ministry in the intelligence update stated that the aim of Russian forces after securing Siversk will be Bakhmut. According to the British MoD, Russian forces have been trying to stop Ukraine from using Snake Island after they withdrew from it in June. It further added that Russian forces have not been able to strike Snake Island with the airstrikes that were carried out on July 13. The UK intelligence further added, "This follows the pattern of Russian air forces failing to successfully engage in the tactical battle."

23 people killed in Russian missile strike in Vinnytsia: Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has called for recognising Russia as a "terrorist state." In his video address on July 14, Zelenskyy asserted that no other nation poses a threat to the world like Russia. He condemned Russia's missile strike in Vinnytsia, which resulted in the death of 23 people including three children. He further stated that it is not the final number as work over debris clearance continues in Vinnytsia. He said that dozens of people have been missing and injured people have been undergoing treatment in the hospital. Zelenskyy claimed that one missile destroyed the Neuromed medical centre which had people inside. Meanwhile, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office in a Telegram post, claimed that Russian armed forces have launched the Kalibr cruise missiles at the centre of Vinnytsia from a submarine in the Black Sea.

Image: AP