1/ It is said that those who forget their history are condemned to repeat it. If this is true, then we should always remember the Russian atrocities against civilians. Today I’ll focus on one of the most shocking, the March 16, 2022 Russian airstrike against the Mariupol theatre.
2/ #Mariupol was one of the first cities attacked by the Russians at the start of their invasion. Since February 24th, Mariupol residents have been under fire. This caused some to leave, some to stay put at their homes and some to find shelter in designated buildings.
3/ One of such places designated as shelters for civilians was the Donetsk Academic Regional Drama Theatre. It was a multi-storied building at a relatively elevated part of the city. No other structures in close proximity. It made sense to shelter civilians there.
4/ As the Russians troops encircled Mariupol, the theatre became a more permanent living place for many displaced civilians. Much of them children. For this reason, the word "#дети" ("children" in Russian) was written in giant letters outside the theatre on two visible locations.
5/ "дети" was written on the ground at the front and at the back of the theatre. Each word was several meters long. Photos show that it is possible to read the "дети" signs from very far away. "дети" is even readable from satellite photos.
6/ There is no doubt in my mind that the Russian invaders saw the "дети" (children) signs.
7/ Nonetheless, on March 16, 2022, the theatre was severely damaged and hundreds of civilians sheltering inside were killed by what appears to have been a high-power high-precision airstrike. There is no record of Russian authorities giving any warning before the attack.
8/ Let me be clear. This attack was not a case in which civilians happened to be in the crossfire. The Russian airstrike was a deliberate attempt to kill as much civilians as possible to terrorize the population.
9/ Maybe the Russians hoped to affect the defenders morale after such attack. It would not be first time the Russians resort to such tactics. It is reported by Humans Right Watch (#HRW) that the Russians used the same strategy in a city called #Idlib in Syria. Link below.
hrw.org/report/2020/10…
10/ Furthermore, it is not the case that Russia has a surplus of precision ammunition. This means that any such attacks are carried out only after approval from their high-command.
11/ Therefore the Mariupol theatre attack represents evidence of war crimes by Russian high ranking officers. The monsters that planned the strike may have hoped to break Ukrainian resistance. They did the opposite however. They galvanized the world on the Ukrainian side.
12/ We must remember that it was no accident. We owe that to the Ukrainians who sacrificed life and limb to protect their land. We owe that to the Ukrainian soldiers that are now risking their lives attempting to stop the monsters that attacked Mariupol.
13/13 End of thread. I hope that these words serve as a tribute to the lives lost in the defense of Mariupol and #Ukraine . I hope that this thread allows us to remember. To leave a record of what occurred. To never forget. So it never happens again. #StandWithUkraine️
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