Amnesty International Report Says Mariupol Theater Bombing Was a Deliberate 'War Crime'

Mariupol Theater.Photo: Google Maps; UKRAINIAN INTERIOR MINISTRY/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

In March, it was reported that the Donetsk Regional Academic Drama Theater in Mariupol, in which hundreds of Ukrainian residents weretaking shelter, was bombed — even though the word “children” was written in Russian outside the building.

According to Amnesty International: “At the time of the attack, hundreds of civilians were in and around the theatre; many were killed. The theatre was clearly recognizable as a civilian object, perhaps more so than any other location in the city. The evidence Amnesty International has gathered demonstrates that the attack was a war crime.”

From the report: “Russian tactical fighter aircraft most likely attacked the theatre using two 500-kilogram bombs. Numerous survivors and witnesses reported hearing aircraft in the area immediately before the strike.”

While early reports indicated thatas many as 600 people may have diedin the explosion, Amnesty International says the count is likely “much smaller than previously reported” but that it is “unclear precisely how many people were killed.”

Survivors from the port city of Mariupol — which has been a central target for Russian aggression during the invasion of Ukraine — described the horrors of the war in interviews toThe Washington Postin April, telling the outlet"everything" was destroyed.

Days after the theater bombing, theAssociated Press reportedthat residents of Mariupol had begun burying their dead in a mass grave on the outskirts of the city.

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Russian military forces also severely damaged a children’s hospital and maternity ward in Mariupol, Ukraine PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyysaid in a tweet last month, writing: “People, children are under the wreckage Atrocity!”

Russian PresidentVladimir Putinclaimed that his forces had “liberated” the city, saying in public remarks, “the work of the armed forces to liberate Mariupol has been a success. Congratulations.”

source: people.com