It’s a shocking moment when a Russian tank shoots and kills an elderly Ukrainian walking down the street in the besieged port city of Mariupol.
The video allegedly shows a civilian walking down an empty city street before a Russian military vehicle opened fire and killed the man.
The footage, which has not been independently verified, first shows a Russian tank standing amid what appears to be the remains of a destroyed civilian building.
The video then pans out wider to show a civilian, presumably an elderly man, walking calmly on the opposite side of the street – without any attempt to hide or show aggression.
The Russian tank then opens fire, supposedly killing a civilian instantly as the shell hits the building directly behind him, erupting in flames and smoke.
The footage, which has not been independently verified, first shows a Russian tank (circled) nestled among what appears to be the remains of a destroyed civilian building.
The video then pans out wider to show a civilian (circled), presumably an elderly man, walking calmly on the opposite side of the street – without any attempt to hide or show aggression.
The Russian tank then opens fire, supposedly killing a civilian instantly as the shell hits the building directly behind him, an explosion of flames and smoke.
The Ukrainian division of the Azov Battalion, which published the footage, said: “Cruel footage of the murder of a resident of Mariupol by Russian tankers.
“An elderly man drew attention to himself so that he would not be shot, and Putin’s villain shot a defenseless civilian. This is what the “Russian world” looks like.
Mariupol was one of the hardest hit cities in Ukraine, the city was almost constantly under fire from Russian bombs.
The video allegedly shows a civilian (center right) walking down an empty street in the city, with a Russian tank standing nearby (top left in the image).
The video allegedly shows a Russian military vehicle opening fire and killing a man.
After the explosion, a black column of smoke rises into the air.
On Wednesday, Russian troops bombed a theater in the city where hundreds of civilians, including children, were hiding, the city council said.
Officials said it was impossible to know how many people died or were injured in the shelling of the Mariupol Drama Theatre, as shelling of residential areas in the city continues, meaning rescuers cannot reach those trapped under the rubble.
After the Russian bombardment, the central part of the theater collapsed, and the debris blocked the entrance to the bomb shelter located inside the building, the city council said.
Russian rockets also fired at a convoy of people fleeing Mariupol, killing civilians, including children, after earlier strikes hit a nearby displaced persons hub. It is not yet known how many people died as a result of the shelling.
Russian forces bombed a theater hiding hundreds of civilians, including children, in the besieged port city of Mariupol on Wednesday, the city council said.
Officials said it was impossible to know how many people were killed or injured in the shelling of the Mariupol Drama Theater (pictured before the shelling), because the shelling of residential areas continues in the city, which means that rescuers cannot reach those who are in the rubble.
The Ukrainian military said civilians were traveling from Mariupol to the city of Zaporizhia along the humanitarian corridor – ostensibly safe passages for citizens to escape – when Russian troops opened fire on them.
Footage from the scene of the shelling shows a burned-out car with a broken door.
More than 28,800 civilians were able to leave Mariupol through several humanitarian corridors, but thousands were still stuck in the city, according to Ukrainian officials.
The evacuation of civilians in Mariupol comes as Russian forces resume shelling of the coastal city, where hundreds of thousands of civilians struggled to survive without heat, food or clean water.
Russian rockets also fired at a convoy of people fleeing Mariupol, killing civilians, including children, after earlier strikes hit a nearby displaced persons hub. Pictured: A car from a convoy of people fleeing Mariupol, destroyed by shelling, on a road in the Zaporozhye region, Ukraine, on Wednesday
According to regional governor Pavel Kirilenko, Russian forces in Mariupol have detained 400 people from homes located near the city’s hospital number 2, as well as 100 doctors and patients who were already inside and are refusing to let them out.
Humanitarian convoys were again unable to reach Mariupol due to the Russian offensive, but were able to deliver aid and create evacuation corridors from Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region.
The head of the Red Cross, who helped organize the evacuation, arrived in Kyiv on Wednesday to press for better access to humanitarian aid and the protection of civilians.
Overall, more than 3 million refugees have fled Ukraine, according to the UN, marking the biggest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.
Meanwhile, the UN Supreme Court has ordered Russia to stop fighting in Ukraine in order to further isolate Moscow on the world stage.
Kyiv filed a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice immediately after Putin ordered his men to attack on February 24, saying his justification — that genocide was being committed in the Donbas — was unfounded and contrary to international law.
The judges today ruled in Ukraine’s favor, ordering Russia to withdraw its forces and stop attacks by troops it backs, referring to the Donetsk and Lugansk “republics.”
The court does not have the power to enforce the decision and Vladimir Putin is likely to ignore it, but today President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that this would “isolate Russia even more” from other countries.