KIEV: Satellite photography has shown the discovery of a third mass grave on the outskirts of the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol, according to an investigative report.

According to the report, images from Planet Labs, a San Francisco-based Earth imaging company revealed the appearance of a 200-meter-long burial in the village of Staryi Krym, 5 kilometres from the destroyed south-eastern metropolis.

According to the report, the first pictures taken on March 24 revealed three tunnels, one of which was 60-70 metres long.  Then, on April 7, photos revealed that the trenches had grown longer and that some previously dug areas had been covered up.

Finally, new trenches appeared in the latest pictures obtained on Sunday, a month after the original image.  The mass graves' overall length is now estimated to be over 200 metres.

Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko confirmed the presence of the third mass grave and claimed that the Russian military "ask local residents to help with the burials in exchange for food." On March 10, Russian forces took control of the town of Staryi Krym.

The Mariupol City Council claimed on April 21 that up to 9,000 Mariupol residents may have been buried in a 300-meter-long mass grave in Manhush, a Russian-occupied settlement less than 20 kilometres from the besieged port city.

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