Russia bombed movie theatre sheltering 'over a thousand' civilians in Mariupol Ukraine

The city council of Mariupol reported Thursday in a post on the messaging site Telegram that Russian soldiers destroyed a movie theatre in Ukraine's Mariupol, where over a thousand civilians had sought refuge. According to the Mariupol City Council, "The Drama Theatre was destroyed by the invaders. More than a thousand people sought safety at this location. This is something we will never forgive." The word 'children' is inscribed in Russian on the sidewalk in front of and behind the structure, according to satellite photographs obtained by AFP three days earlier.

The number of casualties has yet to be determined, however photos supplied by AFP showed a half-destroyed structure on fire and surrounded by debris.

The attack was described by Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko as a "horrifying catastrophe."

"Many were hiding there... some stated they were lucky to live, but regrettably not everyone was lucky," he continued, implying that people died.

"What has happened today can only be described as genocide... genocide against our nation, our Ukrainian people. But I am confident that the day will come when our lovely city of Mariupol will rise from the ruins once more."