These are images that Europe has not seen since World War II.
Thousands of soldiers and civilians, including hundreds of children, are hiding from Russian bombing in underground bunkers of the Azov Steel Company in Mariupol.
You are isolated from the outside world. By order of the Kremlin tyrant Vladimir Putin (69 years old), the Russian troops are closely surrounded “so that no fly goes out.”
Putin’s barbaric goal: What his bombs cannot do, the shortage of food, water and medicine must be fixed. He wants to starve fighters and civilians under Azov for steelwork!
Thick smoke rises from steel mills in Azov. It is the last stronghold of Ukrainians in MariupolPhoto: HANDOUT / AFP
The misery of the people in the old Soviet bunkers is increasing. “The supplies we took to the air-raid shelter are no longer enough,” a woman said in a video released yesterday by the Azov Regiment. “We are on the point of having nothing left to feed the children to whom we are going to give whatever we have left.”
Putin’s war App users can sign up for our new newsletter here!
“You can’t imagine what it means to us to eat and drink sweet tea,” says another woman waiting in the dugout in a thick jacket. “That’s lucky for us.”
A little girl tells that she has been living since February 27 in the bunkers of Mariupol. “I haven’t seen the sky or the sun since then.”
More than 1,000 civilians are said to be still in bunkersPhoto: EyePress News / Shutterstock
For all of them there is no escape.
The Kremlin has crushed requests from the Ukrainian government and international leaders to ensure a humanitarian corridor outside the steel mills. And recently, Russian planes dropped heavy bombs over the area.
Those who stayed in Mariupol walk through a completely destroyed city that was once vibrantPhoto: Alexander Ermoshenko/Reuters
“The Russians want to take revenge on Mariupol,” Deputy Mayor Sergey Orlo told BILD am SONNTAG. “Because the city did not surrender in 59 days of war.”
He does not believe Putin’s order not to storm the steel mills. “They still want to take control of the factory. Until the land is under Russian control, they cannot claim a complete victory.”
Russian forces took Mariupol on Thursday after weeks of fightingPhoto: Chingis Kondarov/Reuters
The Russian occupiers also acted with extreme brutality against the civilian population outside the steel mills. According to Ukrainian sources, 40,000 residents of Mariupol were deported to Russia, and many of them to the Far East – far from Siberia.
And while Russian Major General Rustam Minkayev, deputy commander of the Central Defense District, declared that Russia is “now at war with the whole world” and Putin’s forces are advancing on a wide front in the Donbass, the humanitarian situation in Mariupol, which was bombed (once 400,000 inhabitants) is catastrophic.
The Russians pick up the dead from Mariupol in trucks. Putin’s forces occupied the cityPhoto: Alexander Ermoshenko/Reuters
The Russians distribute food in exchange for work. Deputy Mayor Orlo says: “If you want to eat, you have to remove the debris or the bodies. It is said that 900 high-rise buildings and 21,000 apartment buildings have been destroyed, and it is estimated that more than 20,000 people have been killed.
To cover up their crimes, Russian forces were said to have buried thousands of Ukrainian dead in mass graves outside the city. According to satellite images, up to 9,000 people are said to be killed in a grave near the Manchu settlement.
This satellite image shows a mass grave near Mariupol. Thousands of dead are said to have been buried next to a roadPhoto: AP
“The siege of Mariupol is the worst disaster in Europe since World War II,” Orloff says wistfully.
It commemorates the siege of Leningrad, when a million Russians died of malnutrition during the German Wehrmacht’s three-year siege of the city.
Photo: BUILD
The bitter irony of the story: one of the survivors was Maria Butina (1998), the mother of Vladimir Putin – the barbarian commander of the Mariupol siege.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.