Ukraine says mass grave outside Mariupol seen in satellite photos could hold 9,000 civilians
New satellite photos of Ukraine show a mass grave in the Russian-occupied village of Manhush, about 12 miles outside of embattled Mariupol, The Washington Post reports. The photos, from Maxar Technologies, show the graves appearing between March 23 and 26. The Mariupol City Council said on Telegram that Russian forces "dug new trenches and filled them with corpses every day throughout April," and that up to 9,000 people were "buried in several layers."
"The biggest war crime of the 21st century was committed in Mariupol," Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko said in the council's statement, which contains unverified figures. "This is the new Babyn Yar. Then, Hitler killed Jews, Roma, and Slavs. Now, Putin is destroying Ukrainians." Babyn Yar is one of the largest mass graves in Europe, located on the outskirts of Kyiv.
Ukrainian officials estimated that at least 20,000 people have been killed in Russia's siege of Mariupol, and President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday accused Russia of working to cover up their atrocities in the port city, including burning bodies in a mobile crematorium. "The occupiers drew conclusions from how the world reacted to the massacre in Bucha," he said. "And now the Russians are trying to hide the traces of war crimes."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The civilians who have managed to escape from Mariupol into Ukrainian-held areas paint a very bleak picture.
Russian President Vladimir Putin declared victory in Mariupol early Thursday, ordering Russian forces to seal the remaining 2,000 or so Ukrainian marines and soldiers inside their last stronghold, the sprawling Azovstal steel plant. Zelensky rejected Putin's claim to have captured the city, BBC News reports in its update on the war.
"Putin's decision to blockade the Azovstal steel plant likely indicates a desire to contain Ukrainian resistance in Mariupol and free up Russian forces to be deployed elsewhere in eastern Ukraine," Britain's Ministry of Defense said Friday morning. "A full ground assault by Russia on the plant would likely incur significant Russian casualties, further decreasing their overall combat effectiveness."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Ukraine-Russia: are both sides readying for nuclear war?
Today's Big Question Putin changes doctrine to lower threshold for atomic weapons after Ukraine strikes with Western missiles
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What would happen if Russia declared war on Nato?
In depth Response to an attack on UK or other Western allies would be 'overwhelming'
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Last updated
-
Are Ukraine's F-16 fighter jets too little too late?
Today's Big Question US-made aircraft are 'significant improvement' on Soviet-era weaponry but long delay and lack of trained pilots could undo advantage against Russia
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Ukraine's stolen children
Under the Radar Officially 20,000 children have been detained since Russia's invasion in 2022, but the true number is likely to be far higher
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
A brief timeline of Russia's war in Ukraine
In Depth How the Kremlin's plan for a quick conquest turned into a quagmire
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Why is Ukraine backing far-right militias in Russia?
Today's Big Question The role of the fighters is a 'double-edged sword' for Kyiv, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
What does victory now look like for Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Not losing is as important as winning as the tide turns in Russia's favour again
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published
-
British warship repels 'largest Houthi attack to date' in the Red Sea
Speed read Western allies warn of military response to Iranian-backed Yemeni rebels if attacks on ships continue
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published