Russian forces have been bombarding Mariupol, a Ukrainian port city of 430,000 people, for more than three weeks. Russia’s constant shelling and airstrikes have consistently targeted civilians in an attempt to break the city’s will to resist.
Four Mariupol residents were interviewed. Their stories are horrifying, tragic, and vexing. They described an apocalyptic scene of Russian airstrikes, rocket attacks, and shelling of civilian targets. They claim that bodies were dumped on the street because it is too dangerous to bury them properly. Mariupol’s residents spend the majority of their time in shelters and basements.
A notice from Mariupol: "Dima (cozy name), mom is killed on 9th March 2022. She has died quickly. The house has burned down after. Dima, I am sorry I could not save (her). I have buried mom next to a kindergarten." (A map follows: South mark, tree, heating pipeline, fence sign). pic.twitter.com/RO2MHFq8qf
— Sergej Sumlenny (@sumlenny) March 21, 2022
Russian forces have been bombarding Mariupol, a Ukrainian port city of 430,000 people, for more than three weeks. Russia’s constant shelling and airstrikes have consistently targeted civilians in an attempt to break the city’s will to resist.
Officials in Mariupol estimate that at least 2,300 civilians have died during the fighting, though the true figure is likely to be higher. According to Human Rights Watch, more than 200,000 people are still trapped in the city. On Saturday, March 19, Mariupol’s City Council announced that Russian forces had forcibly deported “several thousand” residents to “Russian territory.”
The four survivors are all fluent in Russian. According to their accounts, they now harbour a deep hatred for the Russian invaders who have inflicted so much cruelty and suffering on Ukraine’s civilian population.
