Russia continues to demolish homes destroyed by its months-long siege of Mariupol

Over the course of Russia's brutal siege of Ukraine's southern city of Mariupol, over 2,000 residential buildings were heavily damaged, with around half of them now completely destroyed, the exiled Mariupol City Council said on Telegram on May 9.

According to the post, the Russian occupying authorities have already dismantled 282 residential buildings and are planning to demolish another 700, Vadym Boychenko, the exiled mayor of Mariupol said.

"Demolition of homes is one of the occupiers' ways to hide their crimes. But no matter how hard they try, every war criminal will be punished," the city council wrote.

Google map imagery published on April 26 of shows before-and-after compositions of Mariupol, revealing the extent to the devastation brought to the once-peaceful city.

Russian forces heavily bombed Mariupol from the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. The city has been occupied since May 2022.

March 16 marked the one-year anniversary of Russia’s strike on the Mariupol Drama Theater, which killed hundreds of civilians sheltering inside. It was labeled a “clear war crime” by Amnesty International.

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Kyiv IndependentAsami Terajima