“About 60 to 70% of the housing stock has been destroyed or partially destroyed”, added, quoted by the Russian state news agency Tass, Konstantin Ivashchenko, appointed head of the city on Wednesday by Denis Pushilin, leader of the separatists. from Donetsk.
He also estimated that 250,000 people had left the city but that at least as many, possibly 300,000 remained behind.
These quotes are excerpts from an interview that Tas announced would be published on Friday.
The Ukrainian authorities had put forward “cautious” estimates of 5,000 dead, while indicating that there could be “tens of thousands of civilian victims” and that the city is “90% destroyed”.
The Russian military and its separatist allies have been besieging Mariupol for weeks and face fierce Ukrainian resistance.
The humanitarian situation there is catastrophic, according to both sides, and the city is largely in ruins.
The EU offers to release 500 million euros
The head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell has proposed to increase funding by 500 million euros to supply arms to Ukraine, European Council President Charles Michel announced on Thursday, expressing his “support” for this initiative.
“Once swiftly approved, this proposal will increase EU aid to Ukraine for military equipment to €1.5 billion,” tweeted the official who represents the EU 27.
“Much more horrible”
The situation in Borodyanka, a locality northwest of kyiv recently taken over by the Ukrainians from the Russians, is “much more horrible” than in Boutcha, where civilians were massacred, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday evening.
“There are more victims” in this small town than in that of Boutcha, also northwest of the capital, added Mr. Zelensky in a video message.
“Every crime will be solved and every executioner will be found,” he said.
Shortly before, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova announced on Facebook that 26 bodies had been discovered by rescuers in the rubble of two bombed apartment buildings in Borodianka, a town that had just over 13,000 inhabitants before the war. .
But “it is difficult to predict how many deaths there will be” identified in total, she immediately underlined, noting that it is “the most destroyed city in the region” of kyiv.
Murders, tortures and rapes
“Only the civilian population was targeted: there is no military site” in this locality recently taken over by Ukrainian forces after the withdrawal of Russian troops from the capital region, continued Ms. Venediktova.
The prosecutor claimed that the Russians had used cluster bombs and heavy multiple rocket launchers there “which bring death and destruction”.
“There is evidence of war crimes by Russian forces at every turn,” she wrote.
“The enemy treacherously shelled the residential infrastructure in the evening, when there were a maximum of people at home,” assured Ms. Venediktova.
She accused the Russian soldiers of carrying out “murders, tortures and beatings” of civilians, as well as rapes, pointing out that the security forces were collecting evidence for local courts and international.
The macabre discoveries are multiplying in several small towns in this area devastated by the fighting.
Ukraine and Western countries have accused the Russian military of “war crimes” after dozens of corpses, apparently of civilians often shot, were found on the streets of Boutcha.
The Russian army penetrated on February 27 – three days after the start of the invasion of Ukraine – in Boutcha and remained there for a month.
Twenty-six bodies have been discovered by Ukrainian rescue workers in the rubble of two bombed apartment buildings in Borodianka, northwest of kyiv, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova announced on Thursday.
It is “the most destroyed city in the region” of the capital, she said on Facebook.
“From the rubble of two bombed-out apartment buildings alone, 26 bodies have been extracted,” she said, adding that “it is difficult to predict how many deaths there will be” in Borodyanka in total.
“Only the civilian population was targeted: there is no military site” in this locality recently taken over by Ukrainian forces after the withdrawal of Russian troops from the kyiv region, continued Ms. Venediktova.
The macabre discoveries are multiplying in several small towns in this area devastated by the fighting.
Ukraine and Western countries have accused the Russian military of “war crimes” after dozens of corpses, apparently of civilians often shot, were found on the streets of Boutcha, also northwest of kyiv.
The Russian army penetrated on February 27 – three days after the start of the invasion of Ukraine – in Boutcha, and remained there for a month.