Evidence Of 'Filtration Camps' Emerging From Russian-Controlled Areas Of Ukraine, U.S. Says

The U.S. has information that Russia’s planning for its further invasion of Ukraine includes a forced capitulation of the country's democratically elected government, as well as dissolving local municipal governments across Ukraine, a senior U.S. diplomat told reporters during a special online briefing on Thursday.

"Plans for a new government and new constitution are being developed by Russian officials and so-called “separatists.” This planning includes a moratorium disallowing legitimate Ukrainian leaders and those supporting Ukraine’s legitimate government from any leadership positions" Michael Carpenter, the U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE said, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

For Carpenter, this is "straight out of Russia’s playbook," which has repeatedly exploited phony “electoral” processes, including holding of sham referenda in an attempt to lend a semblance of legitimacy to its campaign of subjugation using puppets and proxies.

The Kremlin, he added, may be preparing to stage sham referenda in Ukraine’s south and east – in the areas that it illegally seized since February 24th – and on Tuesday, Russian forces claimed they had, “liberated” the Kherson region of southern Ukraine, and they have now decreed that they’re going to start using the Russian ruble as their currency.

Carpenter also added that "unfortunately and tragically, we should be prepared that Russia is going to intensify its ongoing forced transfers of local populations in the areas it controls in Ukraine’s south and east to Russia or to Russia-controlled parts of the Donbas via so-called “filtration camps.”

"We’re seeing credible reporting that Russia’s forces are rounding up the local civilian populations in these areas, detaining them in these camps, and then brutally interrogating them for any supposed links to the Ukrainian Government or to independent media," he said.

There are reports that those suspected of having any connections of this sort are being beaten or tortured before they’re transferred to the so-called “Donetsk People’s Republic,” where many are reportedly disappeared or murdered.  Reporting also indicates that many civilians in these filtration camps who “pass” the interrogation are then transferred to Russia or Russia-controlled Donbas.

"Our information indicates that Russia is abducting, torturing, and/or murdering locally elected leaders, journalists, and civil society activists, as well as religious leaders.  So, this should give us all pause," he said.

Asked by TURAN's correspondent whether if Russia could be suspended from the OSCE if these actions continue, Carpenter said, while the OSCE, as an institution is inclusive, and it is very difficult procedurally to suspend a member, "we are trying to ensure that the OSCE can actually serve a purpose on the ground."

"OSCE is both a forum in which we engage in dialogue, it’s an organization that has field missions, and it’s got independent institutions such as ODIHR, the elections monitoring and Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. So, as a forum, we’re using the OSCE to isolate Russia and Belarus diplomatically, and they are isolated. They have got nobody else supporting them, and we’ve got about 45 participating states that regularly condemn their actions," he said.

As an organization, "we’re trying to ensure that the OSCE can actually serve a purpose on the ground," he added. "And so, we do have 15 field missions, including one in Ukraine, which may be lesser known, but the program coordinator’s office in Ukraine is physically present in Ukraine and it is helping to distribute humanitarian assistance."

Carpenter also mentioned the independent institutions like the Representative on Freedom of the Media and ODIHR, "who are busy doing media monitoring and documenting human rights violations and possible war crimes."

Alex Raufoglu

Washington D.C.