Stories from Mariupol · Ukraine

Documents indicate the Mariupol Theater, which was bombed by Russian forces in 2022, has been restored, renamed, and reorganized. The theater is now being funded by Russian institutions.

Russian authorities claim a Himars system used by Ukraine caused a strike at the Azovstal plant. However, many experts who studied site imagery and testimonies from released Ukrainian prisoners deny this claim.

Kyiv maintains that an explosion was carried out from within a building to intentionally eliminate Russian prisoners of war. Moscow has reportedly denied international investigators access to additional documents regarding Alexei Navalny. This action is described as a deliberate attempt to eliminate prisoners. Kyiv reports that between 53 and 62 Ukrainian prisoners died following the destruction of a building housing them. Russian authorities have denied the claim, asserting the damage resulted from HIMARS strikes from the Ukrainian side. Radio Svoboda reported that the strike targeted prisoners defending the Azovstal plant in Mariupol. The report noted that while some suggest a Ukrainian HIMARS system was used, experts studying site imagery and testimonies from released Ukrainian prisoners have disputed that claim.

A banner displayed by Russian forces showing the ruins of the Mariupol theater, under which hundreds of Ukrainian civilians died while seeking shelter, has been highlighted. The civilians were killed despite 'children' signs in Russian on both sides of the theater. This event serves as a stark reminder of the conflict's human cost.