Russia BOMBS theater sheltering up to 1,200 people with 'children' written outside
Vladimir Putin hit a new low after Russian troops bombed a theater said to be sheltering up to 1,200 people, with the word 'children' written outside the building. The Mariupol Drama Theatre was being used to house people and shelter them from shelling, with meals being provided.
Mariupol has witnessed constant shelling, leading to around 20,000 Ukrainians fleeing. Reportedly, an estimated 2,300 citizens have been killed in the area. Satellite images reportedly showed that the word 'children' was written in visibly large white letters in Russian outside both the front and back of the building. Rescuers are now searching for survivors. The number of casualties is still unknown.
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Multiple reports that Russian forces dropped a bomb on Mariupol drama theatre where (at least until yesterday) hundreds of people were taking refuge. If confirmed refugees were still inside, this would be potentially the worst civilian harm incident and an undisputable war crime. pic.twitter.com/sDfhHULLCM
— Christo Grozev (@christogrozev) March 16, 2022
"The theatre building served as shelter for hundreds of Mariupol residents who had lost their homes as a result of Russian armed forces bombing and shelling the city," Ukraine's foreign ministry said in a statement. "The bomb strike demolished the central part of the theatre building, causing large numbers of people to be buried under the debris. The assessment of the exact number of persons affected is currently impossible due to ongoing shelling.By delivering a purposeful bomb attack to the place of mass gathering of civilians Russia has committed another war crime. Putin’s regime has long since crossed the line of humanity."
Local MP Sergiy Taruta claimed that the theatre had become a shelter “in which the residents of the blockaded Mariupol sought respite from the continuous shelling”. "There were a huge number of people hiding from the shelling. There is some fierce fighting going on right now," he reportedly said. "Many Mariupol citizens were hiding in the theatre, with small children."
Pic 1 : The @Maxar satellite image of #Mariupol's famous Drama theatre from March 14.
— 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐚 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐧 (@suchisoundlover) March 16, 2022
The word діти (CHILDREN) in large white letters.
Pic 2: This was bombed yesterday, Mar 16. At the time of strike, Hundreds of people were taking refuge & the death toll unknown 😞 pic.twitter.com/iCsFhkv0Xx
This attack comes days after Russia bombed a maternity and children's hospital in the city of Mariupol as part of an airstrike. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the attack a war crime, where at least three people were killed. Zelenskyy posted a footage of the wreckage caused by the strike. "Mariupol. Direct strike of Russian troops at the maternity hospital. People, children are under the wreckage. Atrocity! How much longer will the world be an accomplice ignoring terror? Close the sky right now! Stop the killings! You have power but you seem to be losing humanity," he captioned the video.
Just hours before the hospital was attacked, Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said that as many as 3,000 babies were surviving without food or medicines. Although Moscow had promised a ceasefire in the city so that civilians could be safely evacuated, it failed to keep its word.
Mariupol has been under fire for over two weeks now. Entire neighborhoods are in tatters. Thousands of people have reportedly died and 2,50,000 are trapped without power or water.
