The “heroic” resistance by the Ukrainian military and civilians of Mariupol continues as the European Union’s top diplomat accused Russia of committing a “major war crime” that has killed thousands and left the city in rubble, according to the authorities.
On Monday, a top diplomat, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, criticised Russia’s actions in Mariupol and characterised them as “massive war crimes” as the bloc discussed additional sanctions against Russia.
Borrell stated that what is occurring in Mariupol is a massive war crime, destroying and bombing anything and everything and killing people in a discriminatory manner. He added that if things keep going the way they are, the city will completely be in ruins.
At the European Council conference later this week, where US Vice President Joe Biden will also participate, ministers convened in Brussels to consider the fifth round of sanctions against Russia for its military invasion of Ukraine.
So far, Russia’s Central Bank and other important institutions, the steel industry, and hundreds of people and organisations that the bloc believes are involved in the military attack have all been targeted.
Several high-ranking Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, have signed on.
Mariupol has been surrounded by Russian forces for the past two weeks, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without water and electricity.
Humanitarian ceasefires intended to allow the evacuation of civilians and the delivery of aid have routinely been violated by the military.
According to local authorities, more than 2,400 civilians were killed when Russian artillery hit civilian structures such as a school and a theatre where people were seeking refuge from the fighting, and many were buried in mass graves.
They have also rejected a Russian ultimatum to surrender by Monday at 5:00 a.m. local time.
Published By: Manan Khurana
Edited By: Khushi Thakur
