A theater in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol was heavily damaged by a Russian airstrike. Officials said that hundreds of civilians were sheltering in the theater amid the ongoing attacks from Russian forces.
Officials said that people were trapped inside, and it was unknown if there were any casualties. They noted that rescue efforts were being hampered by the ongoing Russian attacks targeting civilian areas of the city.
"It is still impossible to estimate the scale of this horrific and inhumane act because the city continues to shell residential areas," the Mariupol City council wrote on Telegram, according to a translation by CNN. "It is known that after the bombing, the central part of the Drama Theater was destroyed, and the entrance to the bomb shelter in the building was destroyed."
While 20,000 people managed to evacuate the city on Tuesday (March 15), many residents remain trapped in the city without water and electricity. Some people resorted to melting snow and dismantling heating systems for water.
"It is impossible to find words that could describe the level of cruelty and cynicism with which the Russian occupiers are destroying the civilian population of the Ukrainian city by the sea. Women, children, and the elderly remain in the enemy's sights. These are completely unarmed peaceful people," the council added.