The video provides an in-depth look at the harrowing experiences of Ukrainian refugees who were forcibly resettled to Russia amid the ongoing conflict. It examines the process known as filtration, where Ukrainians from Mariupol were interrogated and pressured to adopt Russian citizenship. The focus is on the impact of these actions on the lives of individuals who ended up far from home in remote parts of Russia, such as Siberia and the Pacific coast.

Audience members can gain a detailed understanding of the struggles faced by refugees like Lyudmila Luzhaiska and her daughter Masha, who traveled to Estonia after being displaced from Mariupol. The feature highlights the stories of several individuals, including Edward McCann and Valeria Kurbonova, showcasing the traumatic journey these Ukrainians endured through filtration camps and forced resettlement.

Main takeaways from the video:

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Key Vocabularies and Common Phrases:

1. forcibly [ˈfɔːrsəbli] - (adverb) - Using force or violence to accomplish something. - Synonyms: (compulsorily, involuntarily, forcefully)

These are some of the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians who have been forcibly resettled to Russia.

2. interrogated [ɪnˈtɛrəˌɡeɪtɪd] - (verb) - To ask someone questions aggressively, especially to extract information or confessions. - Synonyms: (questioned, examined, cross-examined)

After surviving war, Ukrainians were kicked out of their home city of Mariupol and driven to camps, where they were harshly interrogated.

3. filtration [fɪlˈtreɪʃən] - (noun) - A process of examining and filtering, often used here in a metaphorical sense. - Synonyms: (screening, sifting, sorting)

They told us about the process known as filtration, which we found as part of Russia's campaign to, quote, denazify and disarm Ukraine.

4. siege [siːdʒ] - (noun) - A military operation in which enemy forces surround a town or building, cutting off supplies, aimed at forcing the surrender of those inside. - Synonyms: (blockade, encirclement, besiegement)

For almost everyone we spoke to, the arduous journey to Estonia began in the shelled out remains of Mariupol, which Russia laid siege to for two months before completely taking over in April.

5. scrutiny [ˈskruːtəni] - (noun) - Critical observation or examination. - Synonyms: (inspection, examination, investigation)

Russian forces put special scrutiny on the men, seeing them as potential fighters.

6. affiliation [əˌfɪliˈeɪʃən] - (noun) - The state of being connected or associated with a group or organization. - Synonyms: (association, connection, alliance)

There's ample evidence russian troops have routinely detained and even killed those they suspected of even a loose affiliation with Ukraine's armed forces.

7. refugees [ˈrɛfjʊˌdʒiːz] - (noun) - People who have been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster. - Synonyms: (exiles, evacuees, asylum seekers)

The arrival of ukrainian refugees celebrated in front of local tv cameras as an example of Russia's humanitarian efforts.

8. humanitarian [ˌhjuːˌmænɪˈtɛriən] - (adjective) - Concerned with or seeking to promote human welfare. - Synonyms: (compassionate, altruistic, benevolent)

The arrival of ukrainian refugees celebrated in front of local tv cameras as an example of Russia's humanitarian efforts.

9. resettlement [riːˈsɛtl̩mənt] - (noun) - The process of moving people to a new place to live because they cannot stay where they were living. - Synonyms: (relocation, transplantation, displacement)

Some of the resettlement facilities in Russia restricted the movement of their ukrainian residents or banned visitors.

10. conquest [ˈkɒŋkwɛst] - (noun) - The act of conquering a country or territory. - Synonyms: (subjugation, domination, subduing)

The vast majority havent been able to escape the country that launched a brutal campaign of conquest against their homeland.

The Ukrainians Sent to Russia’s ‘Filtration Camps’ - Russia-Ukraine War

These are some of the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians who have been forcibly resettled to Russia. We spoke to a dozen people who escaped. They told us about the process known as filtration, which we found as part of Russia's campaign to, quote, denazify and disarm Ukraine.

After surviving war, Ukrainians were kicked out of their home city of Mariupol and driven to camps, where they were harshly interrogated. Then they were sent to facilities as far away as Siberia and the Pacific coast and pressured to take Russian citizenship. Those we spoke to told us they felt trapped, robbed of a home, and forced thousands of miles deep into enemy territory.

We met Lyudmila Luzhaiska and her five-year-old daughter Masha in their new temporary home, a ship in the port of Tallinn, Estonia's capital. They're sharing the cabins of the cruise liner with some 1700 neighbors, all of whom fled the war in Ukraine. For almost everyone we spoke to, the arduous journey to Estonia began in the shelled-out remains of Mariupol, which Russia laid siege to for two months before completely taking over in April.

This was Lyudmila's home. She and her neighbors hid in the cellar of their apartment block for almost a month, and then soldiers from the Russian side told her they had to leave. Lyudmila and everyone else we spoke to described how residents were driven to the outskirts of Mariupol to so-called filtration campsites. These are sites created throughout the Donbas region aimed at identifying anyone the Russians consider a potential threat. Russian forces put special scrutiny on the men, seeing them as potential fighters.

There's ample evidence Russian troops have routinely detained and even killed those they suspected of even a loose affiliation with Ukraine's armed forces. Edward McCann was badly injured when his apartment block was shelled, but Russian forces saw his injury as a sign he might be a fighter. Inside the filtration camps, people described interrogation, days of waiting, and harsh treatment. Those who make it past this part of the process get documents like this one stating they've been fingerprinted.

They're then brought to a train station in the Russian city of Taganrok, just across the Ukrainian border. The people we spoke to described a system with no personal choice about their final destinations. The arrival of Ukrainian refugees celebrated in front of local TV cameras as an example of Russia's humanitarian efforts.

Valeria Kurbonova had the longest journey of the refugees we spoke with. She fled Mariupol by foot and passed through a filtration camp in the Ukrainian border town of Novazovsk. She was then sent to the train station in Taganrog where emergency officials told her to board a train to Khabarovsk, a city on Russia's border with China. There, over 5000 miles away from home, she was housed at a large sports facility.

This is the dormitory she was sent to. Some of the resettlement facilities in Russia restricted the movement of their Ukrainian residents or banned visitors. Others were so remote there was no practical way to leave. Officials strongly encouraged the new arrivals to apply for Russian citizenship. The process required them to hand in their Ukrainian passports.

After 20 days in Russia, Lyudmila was able to scrape together enough money for train tickets to St. Petersburg and from there was driven to the Estonian border. She passed through this checkpoint where at least two or 300 Ukrainians cross into the European Union each day. They're among the very few who've managed to leave Russia. The vast majority haven't been able to escape the country that launched a brutal campaign of conquest against their homeland.

Global, Politics, Humanitarian, Conflict, Ukraine, Russia, The New York Times