Update: Survivors have emerged from the wreckage of a theater in Mariupol that was destroyed by a Russian attack Wednesday, an adviser to the city's mayor says. Authorities say it appears that the building's bomb shelter, which housed up to 1,000 civilians in recent days, withstood the attack, the Guardian reports. So far, there have been reports of injuries but not deaths at the Drama Theater of Mariupol—but communications with the besieged city have been largely cut off and authorities say continued Russian attacks are making rescue efforts difficult, reports the BBC. Russia, which has been heavily bombarding Mariupol and other cities, denies carrying out the attack. "Our armed forces don’t bomb cities. Everyone is well aware of this," said foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, per the New York Times. Our story from Wednesday follows:
Russian forces destroyed a theater in Mariupol where hundreds of people were sheltering Wednesday and rained fire on other cities, Ukrainian authorities said, even as the two sides projected optimism over efforts to negotiate an end to the fighting. The airstrike ripped apart the center of the once-elegant building, where hundreds of civilians had been living since their homes had been destroyed in the fighting, Ukraine's foreign ministry said in a statement. Many people were buried in the rubble, officials said, though there was no immediate word on how many had been killed or injured, the AP reports.
Satellite imagery from Monday showed the word "children" written in large white letters in Russian in front of and behind the building, the Maxar space technology company said. "Another horrendous war crime in Mariupol," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter, calling the bombing a "massive Russian attack." The Russian defense ministry denied bombing the theater. In other developments:
- Putin says things are going to plan. While Moscow's ground advance on the Ukrainian capital appeared largely stalled, Vladimir Putin said the operation was unfolding "successfully, in strict accordance with pre-approved plans." He also decried Western sanctions against Moscow, accusing the West of trying to "squeeze us, to put pressure on us, to turn us into a weak, dependent country."
- Kremlin says Ukraine is offering neutrality. Reuters reports that Vladimir Medinsky, Russia's chief negotiator, told state TV: "Ukraine is offering an Austrian or Swedish version of a neutral demilitarised state, but at the same time a state with its own army and navy."
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- Ukraine denies it. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak denied Russia's claim that Ukraine was open to adopting a model of neutrality comparable to Sweden or Austria. Podolyak said Ukraine needs powerful allies and "clearly defined security guarantees" to keep it safe.
- Fighting intensifies near capital. Kyiv regional leader Oleksiy Kuleba said Russian forces had intensified fighting in the Kyiv suburbs and a highway leading west, and across the capital region, "kindergartens, museums, churches, residential blocks and engineering infrastructure are suffering from the endless firing." A 12-story apartment building in central Kyiv erupted in flames after being hit by shrapnel.
- 13 killed in breadline. Ukrainian authorities say 13 people were killed while waiting in line for bread in the northern city of Chernihiv on Wednesday morning, the BBC reports. The local police chief says dozens more were injured when the shells hit a high-rise building and fell to the ground.
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