Russia shells mosque housing 80 civilians in Mariupol: Ukraine

Kyiv says more than 80 people, including Turkish citizens, were seeking refuge at the mosque when it was bombarded.

Ukraine has accused Russia of refusing to allow people out of Mariupol, where a blockade has left hundreds of thousands trapped [Vadim Ghirda/AP]

12 Mar 2022

Russian forces have shelled a mosque in the southern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, where more than 80 adults and children have taken refuge, Ukraine’s foreign ministry said on Saturday.

The ministry said in a tweet that Turkish citizens were among those who were seeking refuge in the mosque when it was bombarded.

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“The mosque of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and his wife Roxolana (Hurrem Sultan) in Mariupol was shelled by Russian invaders,” the foreign ministry said. “More than 80 adults and children are hiding there from the shelling, including citizens of Turkey.”

It did not say if there were any people killed or wounded.

Moscow has denied targeting civilian areas in what it calls a special military operation in Ukraine.

Ukraine has accused Russia of refusing to allow people out of Mariupol, where a blockade has left hundreds of thousands trapped. Russia blames Ukraine for the failure to evacuate people.

Mariupol has been under siege and bombardment for more than two weeks and is encircled by Russian troops.

The situation in the strategic port city was “desperate”, where civilians have been desperately trying to flee, but were without water or heating, and running out of food, a top Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres, or MSF) executive said on Friday.

Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted on Friday: “Besieged Mariupol is now the worst humanitarian catastrophe on the planet. 1,582 dead civilians in 12 days.”

Three people, including a child, were killed when a children’s hospital in the city was attacked on Wednesday, sparking international outrage.

Against this backdrop, a new attempt is being made to open up a humanitarian corridor to allow civilians to evacuate the city towards Zaporizhzhia, around 200km (124 miles) to the northeast, said Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk.

For days, Ukrainians have claimed that the Russian military has been pounding the evacuation route, preventing people from leaving.

As on previous days, humanitarian corridors were also to be opened again around Kyiv.

“I very much hope that the day will go well, that the planned routes will be open and that Russia will meet its obligations regarding the observance of the ceasefire,” Vereshchuk said in a video uploaded to the website of the Ukrainian presidency.

As the Russian army continues to advance and besiege Kyiv, strikes hit the town of Vasylkiv on Saturday morning, about 40km (24 miles) south of the capital.

Eight Russian rockets hit the local airport around 7am (05:00 GMT), which was “completely destroyed”, said the mayor, Natalia Balassinovitch, on her Facebook account.

An oil depot was also hit and caught fire, she said.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/12/ukraine-says-russia-shelled-mosque-in-besieged-city-of-mariupol

Ukraine news – live: Russia bombs Mariupol mosque where ‘dozens were sheltering’, as troops advance on Kyiv

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-news-russia-putin-war-b2034394.html