"Over 200 Decomposed Bodies Found in Mariupol, Ukraine"

Ukraine Authorities: "Civilian Deaths in Mariupol Exceed 20,000"

A view of the southern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, which has been under concentrated attack by Russian forces, on the 24th (local time). [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] More than 200 decomposed bodies were reportedly found in the rubble of a building in Mariupol, a southern Ukrainian port city controlled by Russian forces.

On the 24th (local time), according to CNN and others, Petro Andriushchenko, an aide to the mayor of Mariupol, announced via Telegram that workers dismantling and clearing the rubble of a collapsed apartment discovered over 200 bodies.

Aide Andriushchenko explained, "The bodies found in the basement of the collapsed apartment were in a decomposed state. A foul odor spread in the nearby area." He added, "Local residents refused to cooperate with the recovery and disposal of the bodies, and Russian disaster authorities left the site." He described that a huge number of bodies were also placed in a temporary morgue on the street outside the building, saying "the city has turned into a massive graveyard."

Mariupol, along with the eastern Donbas region, has been a target of Russian forces since the early stages of the war. Although Ukrainian forces fought tenaciously, the last troops resisting at the Azovstal steel plant, the final stronghold, surrendered on the 21st of last month, leading to the complete control of Mariupol by Russian forces.

Meanwhile, according to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), from February 24, when Russia launched its invasion, until the 22nd, there have been a total of 8,462 civilian casualties in Ukraine, including 3,930 deaths and 4,532 injuries. The Ukrainian government estimates that more than 20,000 civilians have been killed in Mariupol alone.