Mariupol theater attack may have claimed 300 lives, mostly women and children: City Hall
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In the aftermath of last week's strike, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the press that hundreds of people had taken cover in the building. It is believed most were women and children
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Officials in Mariupol, a strategic port city, said Friday they fear 300 people died in last week's Russian strike on a theatre where hundreds of people were sheltering.
"From eyewitnesses, information is emerging that about 300 people died in the Drama Theatre of Mariupol following strikes by a Russian aircraft," Mariupol City Hall wrote on Telegram.
In the aftermath of last week's strike, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the press that hundreds of people had taken cover in the building. It is believed most were women and children.
City officials in Mariupol said Friday that the theatre was destroyed in what they called a "cynical" attack, adding that Russia was aware civilians were inside the building.
The leader of Chechnya, a Russian republic in the south, said Thursday that forces from his region had taken control of Mariupol City Hall and raised the Russian flag.
The port city of Mariupol has been shelled relentlessly by Russian forces. According to the city council, 30,000 people have been able to flee so far, but 350,000 people are still trapped in the city.
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A satellite photo taken earlier this week shows a large building with a red roof and "DETI" the Russian word for "children" painted in large white letters on the tarmac to the front and the back of it.
Physical damage to Mariupol has been described as "enormous" by the city council. A report estimated that about 80 per cent of the city's homes had been destroyed and that almost 30 per cent could not be repaired.
As per President Zelensky, almost 100,000 people remain trapped without food, water, or power in the besieged city and are subjected to fierce shelling by Russian forces.
(With inputs from agencies)