

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.


Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.

The Mariupol Drama Theater in Mariupol, Ukraine was allegedly bombed by Russian forces on March 16, 2022. (Photo: Donetsk Regional Administration)
Russian forces on Wednesday allegedly bombed a theater in which at least hundreds of civilians were reportedly sheltering in Ukraine's embattled southern port city of Mariupol.
"It is still impossible to estimate the scale of this horrific and inhumane act."
The Mariupol City Council said that a warplane "dropped a bomb on a building where hundreds of peaceful Mariupol residents were hiding," accusing Russian troops of "purposefully and cynically destroyed the Drama Theater in the heart of Mariupol."
Photos and video footage showed the theater almost completely destroyed by the attack. It is unknown how many, if any, casualties resulted from the bombing.
"We don't know if there are any survivors," one witness told The Guardian. "The bomb shelter is also covered with debris... there are both adults and children there."
"It is still impossible to estimate the scale of this horrific and inhumane act," the council wrote on Telegram. "It is known that after the bombing, the central part of the Drama Theater was destroyed, and the entrance to the bomb shelter in the building was destroyed."
Aerial photos of the theater taken in recent days show the word "children" painted in large Russian letters in parking lots on two sides of the building. Video footage reportedly recorded inside the theater before the attack shows the building packed with refuge-seeking civilians, many of them children.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called the attack "another horrendous war crime," tweeting that the "Russians could not have not known this was a civilian shelter."
Reuters reports that the Russian Defense Ministry denied that its forces carried out the attack, for which it blamed the Azov Battalion, a far-right Ukrainian militia.
Mariupol is encircled by Russian forces and has suffered heavy bombardment, including many attacks on civilian infrastructure. Hundreds of thousands of residents remain trapped in the city, many of them without adequate food, water, power, heat, or medical supplies.
Related Content

Mariupol officials say they have identified 2,400 city residents killed by Russian forces. Pyotr Andryushchenko, an adviser to the city government, said he believes "we have inaccurate data on civilians killed" and that the true death toll might be as high as 20,000.
"It is impossible to find words that could describe the level of cruelty and cynicism with which the Russian occupiers are destroying the civilian population of the Ukrainian city by the sea," the Mariupol council wrote. "Women, children, and the elderly remain in the enemy's sights. These are completely unarmed peaceful people. We will never forgive and never forget."
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Russian forces on Wednesday allegedly bombed a theater in which at least hundreds of civilians were reportedly sheltering in Ukraine's embattled southern port city of Mariupol.
"It is still impossible to estimate the scale of this horrific and inhumane act."
The Mariupol City Council said that a warplane "dropped a bomb on a building where hundreds of peaceful Mariupol residents were hiding," accusing Russian troops of "purposefully and cynically destroyed the Drama Theater in the heart of Mariupol."
Photos and video footage showed the theater almost completely destroyed by the attack. It is unknown how many, if any, casualties resulted from the bombing.
"We don't know if there are any survivors," one witness told The Guardian. "The bomb shelter is also covered with debris... there are both adults and children there."
"It is still impossible to estimate the scale of this horrific and inhumane act," the council wrote on Telegram. "It is known that after the bombing, the central part of the Drama Theater was destroyed, and the entrance to the bomb shelter in the building was destroyed."
Aerial photos of the theater taken in recent days show the word "children" painted in large Russian letters in parking lots on two sides of the building. Video footage reportedly recorded inside the theater before the attack shows the building packed with refuge-seeking civilians, many of them children.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called the attack "another horrendous war crime," tweeting that the "Russians could not have not known this was a civilian shelter."
Reuters reports that the Russian Defense Ministry denied that its forces carried out the attack, for which it blamed the Azov Battalion, a far-right Ukrainian militia.
Mariupol is encircled by Russian forces and has suffered heavy bombardment, including many attacks on civilian infrastructure. Hundreds of thousands of residents remain trapped in the city, many of them without adequate food, water, power, heat, or medical supplies.
Related Content

Mariupol officials say they have identified 2,400 city residents killed by Russian forces. Pyotr Andryushchenko, an adviser to the city government, said he believes "we have inaccurate data on civilians killed" and that the true death toll might be as high as 20,000.
"It is impossible to find words that could describe the level of cruelty and cynicism with which the Russian occupiers are destroying the civilian population of the Ukrainian city by the sea," the Mariupol council wrote. "Women, children, and the elderly remain in the enemy's sights. These are completely unarmed peaceful people. We will never forgive and never forget."
Russian forces on Wednesday allegedly bombed a theater in which at least hundreds of civilians were reportedly sheltering in Ukraine's embattled southern port city of Mariupol.
"It is still impossible to estimate the scale of this horrific and inhumane act."
The Mariupol City Council said that a warplane "dropped a bomb on a building where hundreds of peaceful Mariupol residents were hiding," accusing Russian troops of "purposefully and cynically destroyed the Drama Theater in the heart of Mariupol."
Photos and video footage showed the theater almost completely destroyed by the attack. It is unknown how many, if any, casualties resulted from the bombing.
"We don't know if there are any survivors," one witness told The Guardian. "The bomb shelter is also covered with debris... there are both adults and children there."
"It is still impossible to estimate the scale of this horrific and inhumane act," the council wrote on Telegram. "It is known that after the bombing, the central part of the Drama Theater was destroyed, and the entrance to the bomb shelter in the building was destroyed."
Aerial photos of the theater taken in recent days show the word "children" painted in large Russian letters in parking lots on two sides of the building. Video footage reportedly recorded inside the theater before the attack shows the building packed with refuge-seeking civilians, many of them children.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called the attack "another horrendous war crime," tweeting that the "Russians could not have not known this was a civilian shelter."
Reuters reports that the Russian Defense Ministry denied that its forces carried out the attack, for which it blamed the Azov Battalion, a far-right Ukrainian militia.
Mariupol is encircled by Russian forces and has suffered heavy bombardment, including many attacks on civilian infrastructure. Hundreds of thousands of residents remain trapped in the city, many of them without adequate food, water, power, heat, or medical supplies.
Related Content

Mariupol officials say they have identified 2,400 city residents killed by Russian forces. Pyotr Andryushchenko, an adviser to the city government, said he believes "we have inaccurate data on civilians killed" and that the true death toll might be as high as 20,000.
"It is impossible to find words that could describe the level of cruelty and cynicism with which the Russian occupiers are destroying the civilian population of the Ukrainian city by the sea," the Mariupol council wrote. "Women, children, and the elderly remain in the enemy's sights. These are completely unarmed peaceful people. We will never forgive and never forget."