The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has accused Russia of committing “another war crime”.
A theatre in Mariupol in Ukraine that was sheltering hundreds has been hit by a Russian air strike, according to Ukrainian officials.
In a statement on Telegram, Mariupol City Council accused Russia of purposefully destroying the Drama Theatre by dropping a bomb on the building where “hundreds of peaceful Mariupol residents were hiding”.
At the time of writing on Wednesday night, there has been no confirmation of deaths or injuries.
Mariupol City Council wrote in a statement that it is “impossible” to estimate the scale of the damage as residential neighborhoods are under shelling.
“It is known that after the bombing, the central part of the Drama Theater was destroyed, and the entrance to the bomb shelter in the building was destroyed,” it said.
“Information about the victims is being clarified.
“It is impossible to find words that could describe the level of cruelty and cynicism with which the Russian occupiers are destroying the civilian population of the Ukrainian city by the sea.”
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Russia of committing “another war crime” by purposefully bombing the site of a mass gathering of civilians.
Another horrendous war crime in Mariupol. Massive Russian attack on the Drama Theater where hundreds of innocent civilians were hiding. The building is now fully ruined. Russians could not have not known this was a civilian shelter. Save Mariupol! Stop Russian war criminals! pic.twitter.com/bIQLxe7mli
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) March 16, 2022
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defence Ministry has denied carrying out the attack, the RIA news agency has said.
The Defence Ministry has accused the Azov Battalion, a far-right Ukrainian militia, of blowing up the theatre but did not provide evidence to back up its claim.
Main image via Twitter/Dmytro Kuleba
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