Uncertainty as Mariupol mass graves increase
The field of graves northwest of Mariupol holds thousands of victims. Since...
Russia is expanding its military presence in the port city of Mariupol that it has taken, according to satellite images made available by the Earth observation company Maxar.
The new, U-shaped compound sits near the center of the city. On its roof, the red, white and blue star of the Russian army can be seen, with letters reading “From the Russian army to the people of Mariupol”.
The city was under siege by Moscow’s forces earlier this year for about three months, and relentless artillery barrages destroyed a large portion of it.
While the UN said it had confirmed the deaths of 1,348 civilians, it stated that the true death toll was “likely thousands higher.” Ukrainian officials estimated last month that approximately 25,000 civilians were killed in the strikes.
The city’s cemetery appears to have been expanded in images. According to reports, Russian military have recently began carrying dead bodies away for burial from demolished houses.
The remnants of the city’s theatre, which is thought to have been targeted by Russian forces in a missile strike on March 18 and resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people, have also been surrounded by a sizable defensive screen. The site was destroyed in the strike, which Amnesty International deemed a “clear war crime” by Russia.
According to Ukrainian officials, the Russian bombardment left up to 90% of the city’s infrastructure in ruins, and the new images imply that Moscow has begun demolishing many of the residential structures that were damaged beyond repair.
Other pictures show a city metro station filled to the brim with building supplies. Many civilians could be seen lining up outside the station while Mariupol was being bombarded by the Russians for food and other necessities.
The pictures are being released at the same time that reports claim Russia is gradually bolstering its defensive positions in Mariupol as Ukrainian counteroffensives in the south and east increasingly threaten the city.
Last month, UK defense officials claimed that the Russian military was manufacturing a large quantity of “dragon’s teeth”—concrete blocks intended to impede the advance of enemy armor and other vehicles—at two plants in the occupied Mariupol.
Due to its role as a “land bridge” connecting Russia and the annexation of Crimea, the city has strategic significance for Russia.
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