The destruction of Mariupol: images of a besieged Ukrainian city

[jw5]

Nearly impossible to document​

Not many images come in from Mariupol. The port city in southeastern Ukraine is being relentlessly bombed by the Russian army and photographers are barely able to do their job.

 

[jw5]

Mariupol: relentless attacks​

The satellite company Maxar Technologies has managed to capture from space the panorama of destruction that dominates a city that has been under bombs for weeks.

 

[jw5]

Shocking images​

The images from the street are equally shocking. The few reports that come out of Mariupol speak of a city where people fight every day for survival.

 

[jw5]

The struggle for life​

The images are just as terrible when photographed on the street. The few testimonies that come from Mariupol speak of a city where, as The New York Times headlined, people fight for survival every day ("As Mariupol Is Bombed and Besieged, Those Trapped Fight to Survive").

 

[jw5]

Strategically important​

Mariupol is a strategically important point as it is an important port connecting Ukraine to the Crimean peninsula (annexed by Russia in 2014).

 

[borom]

There are still many who believed that Russia has the right to invade Ukraine and compare it with China's reunification with Taiwan
These are mainly mudland chinese and other oveseas chinese who got discriminated against in their country of domicile and will blindly support China- as a powerful China will hopefully make them less vulnerable or somehow China will step in to protect them.

 

[syed putra]

There are still many who believed that Russia has the right to invade Ukraine and compare it with China's reunification with Taiwan
These are mainly mudland chinese and other oveseas chinese who got discriminated against in their country of domicile and will blindly support China- as a powerful China will hopefully make them less vulnerable or somehow China will step in to protect them.

These overseas chinese blindly supported communist armed uprising against most asean gomen because china became communist and must be punished for the insurrection. In jiu hu, even their IGP was assasinated by the communist.

 

[syed putra]

Urban warfare is simple. Either you go in and suffer casualties, of you flatten the city from a safe distance until the defenders surrender.

 

[jw5]

Little news from Mariupol​

First-hand news is slowly trickling in from Mariupol. Only a few Telegram channels have managed to broadcast the terrifying situation abroad.

 

[jw5]

Putin's ultimatum for Mariupol​

In mid-March, Putin issued an ultimatum to Mariupol to surrender. It ended at five o'clock on the morning of March 21, without the city surrendering.

 

[jw5]

Bombing every 10 minutes​

After the ultimatum expired, the Russians intensified their attacks. According to CNN, there are shellings every ten minutes.

 

[jw5]

Without electricity, water, food​

Due to the shelling, many neighborhoods in Mariupol are without electricity or drinking water. Food is also scarce.

 

[jw5]

Little contact with the outside world​

Communication is almost impossible. Those who have relatives in the city, in many cases, cannot contact them or know if they are alive.

 

[jw5]

Impossible to get out​

There have been several attempts to create humanitarian corridors to remove the most vulnerable population.

 

[jw5]

No ceasefire​

However, the ceasefire necessary for such humanitarian escape routes has failed to materialize. There was only a very brief pause in the shelling.

 

[jw5]

Fleeing between the bombs​

Only a few thousand people have been able to escape the siege. In most cases they had to do that in between the bombs.

 

[syed putra]

Russia needs mariupol to cement the entire southern coast from crimea to donbass region in eastern ukraine.

 

[jw5]

Russian tanks firing at homes​

The few eyewitness accounts from Mariupol speak of Russian tanks firing at buildings.
Pictured: A destroyed tank of Russian or pro-Russian troops stands in the inner city of Mariupol.

 

[jw5]

Hostage​

The city is being held hostage. There are Russian troops in some of its neighborhoods, but Mariupol has not officially fallen yet.

 

[jw5]

Ukrainian resistance​

Ukrainian troops resist the attack. Pictured is a destroyed armored vehicle that probably belonged to Ukrainian defense forces in the Azov Battalion.