Russia raises the number of refugees from Ukraine to more than 2.5 million

The US asks Moscow to "immediately end" its "filtration operations" and "forced deportations"

The Russian authorities have raised this Thursday to more than 2.5 million the number of people, including 400,000 children, who have arrived in the country fleeing the war in Ukraine, most of them from the self-proclaimed people's republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, located in the Donbas region (east).

"Despite all the difficulties created by kyiv, during the last day and without the participation of the Ukrainian authorities, 32,361 people, including 5,463 children, have been evacuated from dangerous regions of Ukraine and the republics in Donbas," the chief specified. of Russia's National Defense Control, Mikhail Mizintsev.

Thus, he stressed that "since the start of the special military operation, 2,529,793 people have been evacuated", before adding that there are more than 9,500 temporary reception centers for refugees in the country, as reported by the Russian agency of Interfax news.

Ukraine has accused Russia of carrying out forced population transfers from the territories it controls in the framework of the invasion that began on February 24 by order of Russian President Vladimir Putin, although Moscow has rejected these accusations and has said that it has been limited to facilitating the transfer of those who want to flee the war.

In this sense, the Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken, demanded on Wednesday that Russia "immediately put an end" to its "filtering operations" and "forced deportations" of citizens from Ukraine and insisted that these actions suppose " a serious violation" of the Geneva Conventions and "a war crime".

"The Russian authorities must release the detainees and allow Ukrainian citizens forcibly removed or coerced to leave their country to return quickly and safely to their homes. We call on Russia to give independent outside monitors access to the facilities of 'leakage' and forced relocation zones for deportees in Russia," he said.

Blinken noted that "estimates from various sources, including the Russian government, indicate that Russian authorities have interrogated, detained and forcibly deported between 900,000 and 1.6 million Ukrainian citizens, including 260,000 children, from their homes to Russia. , often to isolated regions in the Far East".

"Moscow's actions appear to be premeditated and immediately draw historical comparisons to Russia's 'leak' operations in Chechnya and other areas. President Putin's 'leak' operations are separating families, confiscating Ukrainian passports and issuing passports Russians in an apparent effort to change the demographic composition of parts of Ukraine," he explained.

Along these lines, Blinken stressed that "reports also indicate that the Russian authorities are deliberately separating Ukrainian children from their parents and kidnapping others from orphanages before offering them up for adoption in Russia." "Witnesses and survivors of 'leak' operations, arrests and forced deportations recount frequent threats, harassment and incidents of torture by Russian security forces," she added.

During this process, Russian authorities also seize and accumulate biometric and personal data, subject civilians to invasive body searches and interrogations, and coerce Ukrainian citizens into signing agreements to remain in Russia, limiting their ability to freely return home. , before adding that "evidence is mounting on the detention or disappearance of thousands of Ukrainian civilians who do not pass the 'leak'".

"The detainees or 'exfiltrators' include Ukrainians considered a threat due to their potential affiliation with the Ukrainian Army, the Territorial Defense Forces, the media, the government and civil society groups," it stressed. "Witnesses, survivors and the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office have indicated that Russian authorities have transported tens of thousands of people to detention facilities in the Russian-controlled area of ​​Donetsk, where many have reportedly been tortured," she said.

Blinken further noted that "there are reports that some people targeted for 'leak' were summarily executed, in line with evidence of Russian atrocities in Bucha, Mariupol and other locations in Ukraine." "Putin and his government must not be able to participate in these systematic abuses with impunity. Accountability is imperative," he stressed.

"That is why we support the efforts of Ukrainian and international authorities to collect, document and preserve evidence of atrocities. Together, we are dedicated to holding accountable those responsible for war crimes and other atrocities. The United States and our partners will not stand by. in silence. Ukraine and its citizens deserve justice," he concluded.