The UK Ministry of Defense in its intelligence report said that over 2.5 million 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 ministry said in a report.
Earlier US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, said that between 900,000 and 1.6 million Ukrainian civilians, including 260,000 children, have been imprisoned and deported to Russia.
Separately, “In the Donbas, Russian and pro-Russian Luhansk People's Republic separatist forces claim to have entered the outskirts of Siversk,” the MoD said in a tweet.
However, Russian soldiers have been quietly moving westwards from Lysychansk, using shelling and probing attacks to clear a route to Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.
After Siversk is captured, Bakhmut is anticipated to be the next target, the ministry said.
Picture Credits: Reuters
Also read:
Ukraine's war crimes investigation backed by 45 countries
At least 18 people missing after missiles strike Vinnytsia, says official