The war on Ukraine is still occurring. Civilians have been scrambling to find safe passage out of their country or a safe haven from Russian attacks. Some sought out shelter in a theater in Mariupol after Russian forces sieged the city. Unfortunately, the invading army bombed the building possibly leaving hundreds of lives to face uncertainty. On March 17, 2022, Ukraine rescue crews began searching through the rubble to help those trapped inside.
The former Donetsk region head Sergiy Taruta posted on Facebook:
After an awful night of not knowing, we finally have good news from Mariupol on the morning of the 22nd day of the war. The bomb shelter [of the theatre] was able to hold. The rubble is beginning to be cleared. People are coming out alive.
It is estimated that as many as 2,500 civilians have lost their lives in Mariupol, according to Ukrainian officials. The breakdown of social services in Ukraine has hindered rescue efforts.
Mariupol’s Mayor, Vadym Boychenko, posted a video on Telegram late Wednesday. He called the attack a “direct strike.” Adding it was “another tragedy, in our already mangled Mariupol, of which there is already practically nothing left.”
Satellite images of the Ukraine theater prior to the bombing showed the word “children” written in Russian on the ground on both sides of the building.
Citizens of Ukraine are living “in frightening times that are called war,” stated Boychenko.
We want to close our eyes and forget, like a bad dream, everything that is happening to us now — but we open them and see war again, we see the devastation, we see all this horror.
As of Thursday morning, there had been no official figures released on casualties in the theater bombing. However, a Ukrainian lawmaker, Dmytro Gurin’s, parents live in the city and stated that more than 1,000 people sought refuge in the theater, among them were children. Gurin also revealed that it appeared “most of them have survived.”
Many countries and companies have slapped trading restrictions on Russia for their war on Ukraine. As the Russian war on Ukraine enters its 22nd day, citizens and the world wait on bated breath as they hope Vladimir Putin puts an end to his tirade.
Written by Sheena Robertson
Sources:
CNN: Survivors emerge from rubble of Mariupol theater bombed by Russia; by Victoria Butenko, Olga Voitovych, Andrew Carey, James Frater, and Jeevan Ravindran
Star-Advertiser: Rescuers search for survivors in smashed Mariupol theater
The Washington Post: Amid rescue efforts after Mariupol theater bombing, city officials describe ‘colossal’ destruction; by Annabelle Timsit, Adela Suliman, Annabelle Chapman, Sammy Westfall, and Paulina Villegas
Inline Image Rasande Tyskar’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Garry Knight’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
