On Thursday, May 5, in Ukraine, artillery shelling hit Kramatorsk near the Donbas frontline. Russian troops have broken into the Mariupol besieged Azovstal industrial complex. AP journalists have analysed the March 16 air strike on Mariupol theatre and estimated that its death toll could be as large as 600, American news agency AP, Ukrainian public broadcaster Ukrinform, UK’s BBC and Belarusian Nexta TV report.
Early on Thursday, heavy shelling hit Kramatorsk, Luhansk region located close to the 500-kilometre frontline. Nexta TV reports that the attack brought destruction to the centre and residential neighbourhoods of the town.
After allowing the Red Cross and the UN to evacuate hundreds of civilians from the Azovstal industrial complex held by Ukrainian defenders earlier in the week, Russian troops have broken into the five-kilometre-wide territory. Moscow announced a ceasefire in Mariupol from Thursday.
The commander of the Azov Regiment, lieutenant colonel Denys Prokopenko has posted a video speech about the situation within the Mariupol-based Azovstal plant.
«Glory to Ukraine! The Mariupol garrison has been fighting against the enemy’s superior forces for 70 days now. Since April 25, 2022, we have been keeping the all-round defence within the Azovstal plant. It’s been two days since the enemy broke into the territory of the plant. Heavy sanguinary battles are raging. I am proud of our soldiers making inhuman efforts to hold back enemy attacks. I am grateful to the entire world for your colossal support for the Mariupol garrison. Our soldiers deserve this. The situation is extremely challenging but, nevertheless, we continue to keep the defense,» Prokopenko stated as quoted by Ukrinform.
Zelenskyy sceptical about Mariupol ceasefire
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has voiced scepticism about the ceasefire announced by Russia. He has asked the Secretary-General of the UN António Guterres to help evacuate the wounded at the plant as about 200 civilians are estimated to remain hiding in the bunkers and basements of Azovstal.
«We hope to continue rescuing people from Azovstal, from Mariupol. There are still civilians there. Women, children,» Zelensky said his daily video address. «To save them, we need to continue the ceasefire. The Ukrainian side is ready to provide it.
«It takes time to just lift people out of those basements, out of those underground shelters,» the Ukrainian President explained. «In the current conditions, we cannot use special equipment to clear the debris. Everything is done manually.»
See the Ukrainian President’s video address with English subtitles.
Dark day in Mariupol theatre could become war’s worst atrocity
Amid the many crimes of the unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the March 16 air strike on the Donetsk Regional Drama Theatre stands out.
The Mariupol City Council had estimated that around 300 people died, when explosives hit the large building used as a bomb shelter by hundreds of people at the time. The AP released the results of its investigation of the attack, blamed on Russian troops by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and estimated that the death toll could be closer to 600.
The analysis was based on accounts of 23 survivors, rescuers and people intimately familiar with the theatre shelter, as well as two sets of floor plans of the theatre, photos and video taken inside prior to, during and after March 16 and comments from experts.
The attack’s witnesses and survivors walked the journalists through the building virtually on the floor plan, saying where people were sheltering room by room and how densely crowded each room was. Read the AP report on the journalist investigation here.