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Who is the Butcher of Mariupol? Ruthless commander Mikhail Mizintsev allegedly behind siege horrors

Mikhail Mizintsev was heard in a recorded phone call commanding his junior to cut off the ears of a soldier who didn't wear his uniform properly

As war rages on, innocent people are being killed in Ukraine every day by the Russian troops. On Friday, March 25, local officials stated that some 300 civilians were killed after a Mariupol theater was blown up on March 16, 2022. The theatre was reportedly being used as a shelter and distinctly marked 'CHILDREN'. A newly released video has provided a horrifying picture of the severity of the destruction, while authorities have claimed that a Russian General, dubbed the 'Butcher of Mariupol', is behind the bombing.

Who is the Butcher of Mariupol though? Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, who is also accused of overseeing Moscow's bombing campaign in Syria which largely destroyed Aleppo six years ago, is allegedly behind the destruction of the children's shelter too.

“Unfortunately, we start this day with bad news. Eyewitnesses reported that about 300 people died in the Mariupol Drama Theater,” the city's council wrote on Telegram of the March 16 bombing. “I do not want to believe in this horror … I want to believe that everyone managed to escape,” they added.

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Olexander Scherba, Ukraine's ex-ambassador to Austria, named Mikhail Mizintsev the "Butcher of Mariupol" this week, while Oleksandra Matviichuk, the president of Ukraine's Center for Civil Liberties, demanded that he be charged with war crimes. One of the most chilling things heard about Mizintsev is that in a phone call with his junior, one could hear how he demanded the junior to cut off the ears of another soldier who did not wear his uniform properly. The grim phone call is cited as evidence of his cruelty. 

Mizintsev, who has been the Director of the Russian National Centre for Defense since 2014, is suspected of being in command of Mariupol's siege, as he personally demanded that Ukrainian troops protecting the port surrender, which they refused. This means Mizintsev also likely gave the order to bomb a maternity hospital in the city, killing a pregnant woman and her unborn child, besides the theatre bombing that buried hundreds of children alive in the debris. He has also been accused of indiscriminately shelling districts, leaving bodies decomposing in the streets.

Oleksandra Matviichuk tweeted, “Remember him. This is Mikhail Mizintsev. He is leading the siege of Mariupol. It was he who ordered the bombing of a children's hospital, the drama theatre, etc. He has huge experience of destroying cities in Syria. We’ll take care of the meeting him in the Hague [sic].”  According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, some 100,000 people are still believed to be trapped within Mariupol, living in "inhumane conditions" and under constant siege.