The U.S. and its allies are bracing themselves over the fate of Mariupol, the southern city at the center of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s brutal assault on Ukraine’s east — and a place described by observers from the United Nations as the center of hell given its bombardment.
Conquering the city is viewed as Putin’s primary objective, as complete Russian control would establish a key lifeline to resupply troops seeking to take over Ukraine’s eastern territory.
Besieged Ukrainian forces holding out in a steel plant represent the last stand of soldiers defending the city.
Pleads for help: They have pleaded with the U.S. and other powers for help, but the Biden administration and its allies have refused to engage U.S. and NATO forces directly in Ukraine to avoid a direct confrontation with Russia.
As a result, while the United States has increased the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine, it has generally only been able to observe the horrors of Mariupol from afar.
“We are watching what’s happening in Mariupol from the Balkans, it is absolutely heartbreaking to see what is happening,” Sen. Chis Murphy (D-Conn.) told reporters during a call from Pristina, Kosovo.
Extreme war crimes: The near-complete destruction of the city, under a two-month Russian assault, is described as representing the most extreme case of war crimes allegedly committed by Russian forces.
“We’ve seen the horrifying images and heard the credible reports of atrocities from a growing number of cities across Ukraine – including Mariupol,” a State Department spokesperson told The Hill.
“These images and reports suggest these atrocities are not the act of rogue units; rather, they are part of a deeply disturbing pattern of reports of abuse across all areas where Russia’s forces are engaged.”
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