Russia bombs theater in Mariupol where hundreds of civilians were sheltering

Russian troops bombed a theater in Mariupol, in southeastern Ukraine, which served as a shelter for hundreds of civilians residing in the besieged city, causing an as yet undetermined number of dead and wounded, according to Ukrainian sources.

The Rada (parliament) of Ukraine said that inside the theater, which was reduced to rubble, many civilians had taken refuge from the bombings and it is not known how many survived, because in the vicinity of the building there is an intense battle and no one can enter the area.

The deputy mayor of Mariupol, Serhiy Orlov, indicated that between 1,000 and 1,200 people were sheltered in the theater, but that at the moment there are still no figures for victims.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba declared that this was “another horrible war crime” committed by Russia in Mariupol and that the theater building “is completely destroyed”. “There was a massive Russian attack on the Drama Theater, where hundreds of innocent civilians were taking refuge,” the minister wrote on the social network Twitter.

The situation has been desperate for days in Mariupol, a strategic Ukrainian port city on the coast of the Inland Sea of Azov, located between the Crimean peninsula (annexed by Russia in 2014) and the breakaway east of Donbass, so its conquest is a priority objective of Russian troops.

In the early hours of February 24, Russia launched a military offensive in Ukraine that has already caused 4.8 million people to flee, according to the latest UN data, the worst refugee crisis in Europe since World War II ( 1939-1945).

The Russian invasion was condemned by the international community in general and many countries and organizations imposed sanctions on Russia that affect practically all sectors, from banking to sports.

The war in Ukraine has caused an as-yet-undetermined number of dead and wounded, which could be in the thousands.

While admitting that “the actual numbers are considerably higher”, the UN confirmed at least 726 dead and 1,174 injured among the civilian population, including several dozen children.