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[[File:Донецький академічний обласний драматичний театр.jpg|thumb|300px|The theatre in May 2021, ten months before the airstrike]]
[[File:Донецький академічний обласний драматичний театр.jpg|thumb|300px|The theatre in May 2021, ten months before the airstrike]]
[[File:Mariupol Drama Theatre Destroyed 1.jpg|thumb|300px|Severely damaged theatre (view from the road)<ref>{{Cite press release | script-title = uk:Росіяни завдали авіаудару по Драмтеатру і басейну "Нептун" у Маріуполі, а також з Градів обстріляли авто колону, що йшла на Запоріжжя | trans-title = The Russians launched an air strike on the Drama Theater and the Neptune swimming pool in Mariupol, as well as fired on a convoy going to Zaporizhia from Grady | url = https://dn.gov.ua/news/rosiyani-zavdali-aviaudaru-po-dramteatru-i-basejnu-neptun-u-mariupoli-takozh-z-gradiv-obstrilyali-avto-kolonu-shcho-jshla-na-zaporizhzhya | date = 2022-03-16 | access-date = 31 March 2022 | type = Press Release | script-website = uk:Донецька обласна державна адміністрація | trans-website = Donetsk Regional State Administration | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220515144412/https://dn.gov.ua/news/rosiyani-zavdali-aviaudaru-po-dramteatru-i-basejnu-neptun-u-mariupoli-takozh-z-gradiv-obstrilyali-avto-kolonu-shcho-jshla-na-zaporizhzhya | archive-date = 2022-05-15 | url-status = live}}</ref>]]
[[File:Mariupol Drama Theatre Destroyed 1.jpg|thumb|300px|Severely damaged theatre (view from the road)<ref>{{Cite press release | script-title = uk:Росіяни завдали авіаудару по Драмтеатру і басейну "Нептун" у Маріуполі, а також з Градів обстріляли авто колону, що йшла на Запоріжжя | trans-title = The Russians launched an air strike on the Drama Theater and the Neptune swimming pool in Mariupol, as well as fired on a convoy going to Zaporizhia from Grady | url = https://dn.gov.ua/news/rosiyani-zavdali-aviaudaru-po-dramteatru-i-basejnu-neptun-u-mariupoli-takozh-z-gradiv-obstrilyali-avto-kolonu-shcho-jshla-na-zaporizhzhya | date = 2022-03-16 | access-date = 31 March 2022 | type = Press Release | script-website = uk:Донецька обласна державна адміністрація | trans-website = Donetsk Regional State Administration | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220515144412/https://dn.gov.ua/news/rosiyani-zavdali-aviaudaru-po-dramteatru-i-basejnu-neptun-u-mariupoli-takozh-z-gradiv-obstrilyali-avto-kolonu-shcho-jshla-na-zaporizhzhya | archive-date = 2022-05-15 | url-status = live}}</ref>]]
{{External media|image1=[https://twitter.com/ukraine_world/status/1509116275691249665 A satellite image] by [[Maxar Technologies]] shows the aftermath of the bombing. The word 'children' (Russian: дети) written in large white letters on the pavement is visible at the front and rear of the building.}}

On 16 March 2022, the [[Donetsk Regional Drama Theatre]] in [[Mariupol]], [[Ukraine]], was bombed during the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|Russian invasion of Ukraine]]. It was used as an [[air raid shelter]] during the [[siege of Mariupol]], sheltering about 1,000 civilians, of whom about 600 were killed.<ref name="ap" />
On 16 March 2022, the [[Donetsk Regional Drama Theatre]] in [[Mariupol]], [[Ukraine]], was bombed during the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|Russian invasion of Ukraine]]. It was used as an [[air raid shelter]] during the [[siege of Mariupol]], sheltering about 1,000 civilians, of whom about 600 were killed.<ref name="ap" />


Revision as of 10:26, 28 June 2022

Mariupol theatre airstrike
Part of the siege of Mariupol during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
Damage to the theatre after the airstrike
LocationDonetsk Regional Drama Theatre
Mariupol, Ukraine
Date16 March 2022 (2022-03-16) (UTC+3)
TargetCivilians using the theatre as an air raid shelter
Attack type
Airstrike
Deaths~600[1]
Perpetrators Russian Armed Forces
The theatre in May 2021, ten months before the airstrike
Severely damaged theatre (view from the road)[2]
External image
image icon A satellite image by Maxar Technologies shows the aftermath of the bombing. The word 'children' (Russian: дети) written in large white letters on the pavement is visible at the front and rear of the building.

On 16 March 2022, the Donetsk Regional Drama Theatre in Mariupol, Ukraine, was bombed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It was used as an air raid shelter during the siege of Mariupol, sheltering about 1,000 civilians, of whom about 600 were killed.[1]

Ukraine accused the Russian Armed Forces of deliberately bombing the theatre while it was sheltering civilians.[3] Russia first claimed that the reason the theatre was bombed was because it was being used as a base by the Ukrainian military, and then denied the allegations and instead accused the Azov Battalion of blowing up the building.[4] Both Russian claims have been refuted by independent investigation.

The theatre is among the many Ukrainian heritage and cultural sites destroyed during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[5]

Background

Main article: Siege of Mariupol

On 24 February, the Russian Armed Forces, working together with pro-Russian rebels, besieged the port city of Mariupol, leading to heavy casualties. Supplies–such as food, gas, and electricity–were cut off from the population.[6]

On 10 March, Ukrainian actor Damir Suhov made an emotional plea to the Russian forces to break the siege and allow women, children, and the wounded to be evacuated.[citation needed]

By 17 March, the mayor of Mariupol, Sergiy Orlov, estimated that 80–90% of the city had been destroyed due to shelling.[7]

As shelter

Mariupol city council officials stated that the theatre was the largest single air raid shelter in the city, sheltering 500[8] to 1,200[3] civilians, and at the time of the attack it contained only women and children.[9] Satellite images of the theatre taken on 14 March show the word 'children' (Russian: дети) spelled out in two locations outside the theatre on the square in an attempt to identify it to invading forces as a civilian air raid shelter containing children, and not a military target.[10]

Attack

On 16 March, Ukraine accused Russian forces of shelling civilian areas in Mariupol. Artillery hit numerous locations, including a swimming pool building and a vehicle convoy;[11] shelling then struck the theatre, reducing the building to rubble.[12]

The bomb shelter in the basement of the theatre survived the bombing, but many people were still trapped underneath the burning rubble.[13] A member of the Ukrainian parliament from Mariupol, Dmytro Gurin, said that the rescue efforts were hampered due to continued attacks on the area by Russian forces.[14]

On 25 March, videos allegedly showing the immediate aftermath of the attack emerged on social media: first video showed people covered in dust descending from the partially destroyed upper floors of the building; second video showed the site of the impact.[15]

Victims

By 17 March, the number of casualties was unclear; some emerged alive.[16]

By 18 March, around 130 survivors had been rescued.[17][18] Mariupol City Council stated that according to initial information, no one had been killed, although one person was gravely wounded.[19]

On 25 March, Mariupol City Council estimated that about 300 people had been killed as a result of the airstrike.[20][21]

On 4 May, Associated Press published an investigation with evidence pointing to 600 dead in the airstrike. Many survivors estimated around 200 people–including rescuers–escaping through the main exit or one side entrance; the other side and the back were crushed.[1]

On 7 June 2022, Human Rights Watch and Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group separately announced that Ukrainian refugees, as well as civilians forcibly deported to Russia, were being pressured and intimidated to implicate Ukrainian military personnel in war crimes. This includes a case where a refugee was pressured to implicate the Azov Regiment in the theatre airstrike.[22]

Reactions

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy accused Russia of committing a war crime.[10]

Russian media have widely reported that Russian Ministry of Defense denied responsibility for the bombing and accused the Azov Battalion of having planned and carrying out the theatre bombing instead.[6][10] They claimed that no Russian airforces carried out air strikes within the city and blamed Azov Battalion for "taking hostages" of civilians and blowing up upper floors of the theatre.[23]

Italy's Minister of Culture, Dario Franceschini, made an offer to the Ukrainian government to rebuild the theatre.[24]

OSCE report

On 13 April, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) published a report which covered the Mariupol theatre airstrike.

Russia does not claim that it was a legitimate target but that it was blown up by the Ukrainian Azov battalion. The Mission did not receive any indication that this could be the case... This incident constitutes most likely an egregious violation of IHL and those who ordered or executed it committed a war crime.[25]: 48 

AP investigation

On 4 May, Associated Press (AP) published an investigation of the airstrike. It refuted Russian claims that the theatre was demolished by Ukrainian forces or served as a Ukrainian military base:[1]

None of the witnesses saw Ukrainian soldiers operating inside the building. And not one person doubted that the theater was destroyed in a Russian air attack aimed with precision at a civilian target everyone knew was the city’s largest bomb shelter, with children in it.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Hinnant, Lori; Chernov, Mstyslav; Stepanenko, Vasilisa (4 May 2022). "AP evidence points to 600 dead in Mariupol theater airstrike". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 4 May 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  2. ^ Росіяни завдали авіаудару по Драмтеатру і басейну "Нептун" у Маріуполі, а також з Градів обстріляли авто колону, що йшла на Запоріжжя [The Russians launched an air strike on the Drama Theater and the Neptune swimming pool in Mariupol, as well as fired on a convoy going to Zaporizhia from Grady]. Донецька обласна державна адміністрація [Donetsk Regional State Administration] (Press Release). 16 March 2022. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  3. ^ a b Bachega, Hugo (16 March 2022). "Ukraine war: Russia attacks theatre sheltering civilians, Mariupol says". BBC News. Archived from the original on 16 April 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 17 April 2022 suggested (help)
  4. ^ "Russia accuses Ukraine of trying to frame it over Mariupol theatre attack". Reuters. 17 March 2022. Archived from the original on 18 April 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  5. ^ Cascone, Sarah (23 March 2022). "A Mariupol Museum Dedicated to One of Ukraine's Most Important Realist Painters Has Reportedly Been Destroyed by Russian Airstrikes". Artnet News. Archived from the original on 2 May 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Historic Theater Sheltering Mariupol Civilians Hit By Air Strike, Number Of Casualties Unknown". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. AP, AFP, dpa, and BBC. 16 March 2022. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 17 June 2022. Up to 1,200 people may have been inside the theater, the city's deputy mayor Serhiy Orlov said.
  7. ^ Tondo, Lorenzo (17 March 2022). "Survivors leaving basement of Mariupol theatre after airstrike, say officials". the Guardian. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  8. ^ "Ukraine: Mariupol Theater Hit by Russian Attack Sheltered Hundreds". Human Rights Watch. 16 March 2022. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  9. ^ Lister, Tim (16 March 2022). "Russia bombs theater where hundreds sought shelter and 'children' was written on grounds". CNN. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  10. ^ a b c Hayes, Andy (16 March 2022). "Ukraine war: People buried under rubble after Mariupol theatre sheltering hundreds is hit by Russian bomb, officials say". Sky News. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  11. ^ "Войска РФ нанесли удар по бассейну "Нептун" в Мариуполе, где прятались беременные (видео)" [Russian troops attacked the Neptune pool in Mariupol, where pregnant women were hiding (video)]. ФОКУС (in Russian). 16 March 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  12. ^ "Mariupol: Russia accused of bombing theatre and swimming pool sheltering civilians". the Guardian. 17 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  13. ^ Mayer, Chloe (17 March 2022). "'It's a miracle': Mariupol theater victims survive Russian bombing". Newsweek. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  14. ^ "Mariupol theatre: 'We knew something terrible would happen'". BBC News. 17 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  15. ^ @K_Loukerenko (25 March 2022). "First known to me footage of the Mariupol Drama theatre soon..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  16. ^ Butenko, Victoria (17 March 2022). "People are emerging from the bombed Mariupol theater building, Ukrainian official says". CNN. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  17. ^ Sabin, Lamiat (18 March 2022). "Ukraine says 130 people rescued so far from bombed Mariupol theatre". The Independent. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  18. ^ "Zelenskyy: 130 rescued, 'hundreds' under Mariupol theatre rubble". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  19. ^ "130 Rescued in Ukrainian Theater Bombing, Search for Missing Continues". Voice of America. 18 March 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  20. ^ "Ukraine fears 300 people were killed in Mariupol theatre bombed by Russia as families sheltered". www.independent.co.uk. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  21. ^ "Satellite images show apparent devastation, hunger in Mariupol". NBC News. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  22. ^ Lanting, Bert (7 June 2022). "HRW: Oekraïense vluchtelingen in Rusland worden onder druk ondervraagd". de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  23. ^ "Azov battalion militants blow up Mariupol theater building — Defense Ministry". TASS. 16 March 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  24. ^ "Ukraine: Italy ready to rebuild Mariupol theatre says min". ANSA. 17 March 2022.
  25. ^ Benedek, Wolfgang; Bílková, Veronika; Sassòli, Marco (13 April 2022). "Report on Violations of international Humanitarian and Human Rights Law, War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity Committed in Ukraine since 24 February 2022" (PDF). OSCE. Warsaw.
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