As Putin continues to invade Ukraine with his armed soldiers, the mayor of the besieged Mariupol claims around 31,000 residents were forcibly deported 'at gunpoint' to Russian "filtration camps" in occupied eastern Ukraine.
According to reports, Mayor Vadym Boychenko has confirmed in a Telegram post on Friday that Ukrainian citizens from the southern port city were forcibly taken to a camp in Novoazovsk, which is 35 miles away from Mariupol and only 9 miles away from the Russian border and located in the Donetsk People's Republic.
Boychenko has also revealed that the Ukrainians have been staying at these camps for weeks. "Filtration is very strict - fingerprints are taken, as well as biometrics. They force people to sign various documents," he explained, according to an Ukrainian news agency translation. According to the mayor, particularly the government employees have been treated harshly by the Russian troops.
Meanwhile, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced new measures to make it easier for Ukrainian refugees to travel to Canada, including charter planes to Canada, temporary hotel accommodation, and short-term income support for Ukrainian refugees, as well as additional $100 million in humanitarian support, according to The Kyiv Independent.
Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky thanked PM Trudeau for convening the "Stand Up For Ukraine" conference on April 9, along with Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. Both the leaders lauded the widespread support Ukraine has received internationally, which has managed to raise over $12 billion for Ukrainian refugees and internally displaced people.
Both PMs Trudeau and Zelensky discussed Ukraine's current situation of the war-torn country, its need for military and financial assistance and ways on how Canada can be helpful.
Deeply 'disappointed and saddened' by the behavior of Vladimir Putin, says Berlusconi.
Moreover, Silvio Berlusconi, the former PM of Italy has criticized the Vladimir Putin's behavior while addressing a convention of his conservative Forza Italia party in Rome, Reuters reported.
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