NewsNational

Actions

Ukrainian officials say Russia hit theater that was refuge for women, children

Russia Ukraine War Mariupol's Curse
Posted at 4:01 PM, Mar 16, 2022
and last updated 2022-03-16 16:02:25-04

Officials in Ukraine say a Russian bomb fell on a theater in Mariupol, where people were taking refuge.

The Mariupol City Council posted a picture of a destroyed venue on Telegram. A translation of a caption says the entrance to the bomb shelter at the theater was destroyed and officials are working to clarify information about victims.

An adviser to the Mariupol mayor told CNN that preliminary data shows more than a thousand people were hiding at the theater. Petro Andruishchenko added that it will be difficult to get to survivors because the city is under constant attack.

The coastal Ukrainian city has been under intense attacks for weeks. Andruishchenko said the city has been cut off from electricity, food and water.

Russia claims it's not targeting civilians. However, the United Nations says more than 600 civilians have died in the conflict.