Russian Occupiers Preparing Fake ‘Investigation’ into Events at Mariupol Drama Theater

According to the Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, the occupiers are going to publish their pseudo-investigation into the circumstances of the bombing of the Mariupol Drama Theater. The purpose of such an event is to try to absolve themselves of responsibility for killing several hundred civilians sheltering at the theater at the time of the attack. Most of them were women and children.

Now, the occupiers, with the help of several film crews from Russian TV channels, are preparing staged videos that are supposed to “prove” that the explosion at the Mariupol Drama Theater took place inside the premises. All the destruction took place allegedly “as a result of the detonation of a large amount of explosives,” and the number of victims was no more than 14 people. Russian propagandists even found so-called “witnesses” who saw how “people in military uniforms brought boxes” inside the building the day before.

Meanwhile, the bombing of the Mariupol Drama Theater remains one of the most heinous war crimes committed by the Russian occupiers during the war they wage. Russian planes dropped two 500kg aerial bombs on the theater premises. At the time of the strike, there were up to 1,000 civilians in it. The vast majority of them were women and children hiding from Russian attacks.

According to various estimates, between 300 and 700 people were killed in the strike. It is currently impossible to give an exact estimate as the occupiers did not allow rescuers to approach the ruins.

Natalia Tolub