Satellite photos showing before and after the Russian bombing of the Red Cross office in Mariupol

A building of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was the target of Russian bombing in Mariupol, a strategic port city under siege in southeastern Ukraine, a Ukrainian official said on Wednesday.

“The occupiers deliberately bombed an ICRC building in Mariupol,” Lyudmila Denisova, responsible for human rights in the Ukrainian parliament, wrote on Telegram. The official did not give information about possible victims, but it later became known that the organization had completed the evacuation.

Satellite images show what the place looked like after the bombing.

In addition, they confirm that the place was clearly marked with the organization's logo, visible from the air precisely to avoid being targeted by attacks.

The ICRC team in Mariupol left two weeks ago in an evacuation in which civilians left the city by their own means, so the humanitarian entity indicated that it has no way of knowing the seriousness of the damage or whether there were casualties.

All supplies in the warehouse were distributed in early March, including medical supplies for hospitals and items to alleviate the situation of families living in bomb shelters, but it is not known whether this space has been used since then.

“Despite the massive needs in the city, we have not been able to bring more supplies due to intense fighting and the absence of an agreement between the two sides to ensure the safe passage of humanitarian assistance,” the ICRC said.

According to international humanitarian law, as reflected in the Geneva Conventions, objects and places used for humanitarian operations must be respected and protected in war.

Russian forces continue the siege of Mariupol with constant and indiscriminate shelling that has left at least 5,000 people, according to the authorities, who estimate that the total number of deaths could rise to 10,000.

Aid organizations have repeatedly called for access to Mariupol, where living conditions are very difficult, and Ukrainian officials accuse Russian troops of forcibly deporting residents to Russia.

On Thursday, the Red Cross declared itself ready to lead the evacuation of civilians trapped in the city of Mariupol from Friday, provided it has the necessary guarantees, the organization said in a statement. For its part, the Ukrainian government plans to send 45 buses to evacuate civilians, and Russia said it was “willing to open access to humanitarian convoys from Mariupol,” heading to the city of Zaporiyia, according to Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk.

(With information from AFP and EFE)

KEEP READING: