By April 7, according to new imagery, part of the trenches had been covered, the council said, and the burial area had grown.

“New trenches were recorded on April 24. The length of the mass grave has increased to more than 200 meters,” it said.

Boichenko accused Russian forces of involving the local population in mass burials in exchange for food.

“They [the locals] told us that you have to work ‘hours’ to have food and water. Now there is not enough humanitarian aid in Mariupol so people are forced to do it,” he said on Telegram.