Ukrainian civilians imprisoned by Russia are being treated like livestock and forced to dig mass graves, report says

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Ukrainian civilians imprisoned by Russia are being forced to dig mass graves, the AP reported. They're also being forced into livestock trailers in the occupied territory of Zaporizhzhia, per AP. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy just slammed NATO for not allowing it into the alliance, saying that "for Russia, this means motivation to continue its terror." Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. Loading Something is loading. Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy Ukrainian civilians who are being held prisoner in Russian-occupied territories are being forced to dig mass graves for their fellow prisoners, The Associated Press reported. In the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, which is located on the frontlines of Russia's military invasion, Ukrainian civilians are also forced to share one toilet and were forced into a livestock trailer while being held at gunpoint, the report said. It went on to say that in one instance, a civilian who refused to dig trenches and graves on Russian officials' orders was immediately shot and that his body was placed in one of the graves. The AP reported that as Russia continues its offensive against Ukraine, it's planning to hold possibly thousands more Ukrainians as prisoners across occupied Ukrainian territories and wants to build as many as 25 additional prisoner colonies by 2026. The news comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy makes an aggressive push for Ukraine to be admitted to NATO. "It seems there is no readiness neither to invite Ukraine to NATO nor to make it a member of the Alliance," he tweeted. "This means that a window of opportunity is being left to bargain Ukraine's membership in NATO in negotiations with Russia," Zelenskyy continued. "And for Russia, this means motivation to continue its terror. Uncertainty is weakness. And I will openly discuss this at the summit." Since the early months after the Russian invasion last February, Ukrainians have reported missing family members. United Nations human rights workers shared in a May 2022 report that there were more than 200 cases of "enforced disappearance" mostly by Russian armed forces. The Ukrainian government now believes Russia has detained a total of about 10,000 civilians, Oleksandr Kononeko, a prisoner exchange negotiator, told AP. The prisoners are scattered throughout Russia and Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine, according to the report. Conditions inside the facilities are squalid and torture, including electric shocking and beatings, is a regular practice. Olena Yahupova, a 50-year-old civilian told the AP that she was detained in October in the Zaporizhzhia region where she was forced to dig trenches for Russian soldiers until March. She also was beaten and forced to provide statements to a Russian news outlet to show that Moscow was releasing Ukrainian civilians, AP reported. "It's a business of human trafficking," Yahupova told AP. "If we don't talk about it and keep silent, then tomorrow anyone can be there — my neighbor, acquaintance, child." This story is developing. Check back for updates.