Russia Destroys Theater Where 1,000 People Were Hiding, Ukraine Officials Say
A theater in the south eastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol where hundreds of Ukrainian citizens had been sheltering was attacked by Russian forces on Wednesday, according to Ukrainian officials.
“The Russian military attacked #Mariupol's Drama Theater, where a large number of citizens were hiding!,” the official account of the Ukrainian parliament said in a statement on Twitter about the attack. “It is unknown how many people died under the rubble. Now there are fierce battles. No one can reach the blockages, we don’t know if there are any survivors.”
The attack comes after weeks of bloodshed and utter destruction in besieged Mariupol, with Russian forces launching relentless attacks on hospitals, homes, and other non-military targets that have so far killed some 2,500 civilians in the city. More than 350,000 residents remain essentially trapped in the city as it faces almost daily bombardment from Vladimir Putin’s army.