Satellite photos revealed the scale of a cemetery in Mariupol that became proof of Russia's war crimes

According to various sources, Russian invaders killed more than 100,000 civilians in Mariupol during the hostilities. This was reported by the Centre for Strategic Communications and Information Security (SPRAVDI).

The centre notes that a series of satellite images vividly shows the colossal scale of the burials, which continue to grow every year.

Mariupol became a symbol of heroic resistance and indescribable suffering during the Russian aggression in Ukraine. After a three-month brutal siege that lasted from 24 February to 20 May 2022, the city was completely under the control of Russian forces.

During this time, up to 90 per cent of residential buildings in Mariupol were destroyed and more than 2,200 apartment blocks were rendered uninhabitable. Russian troops destroyed or damaged most of the 206 historic buildings in the city, destroying cultural heritage and leaving thousands of people homeless.

A particularly tragic episode was the Mariupol drama theatre disaster on 16 March 2022, where hundreds of civilians were hiding. The airstrike killed at least 600 people - one of Russia's most massive and horrific war crimes in Ukraine.

Despite repeated attempts by Russian propaganda to portray Mariupol as a restored and safe city, local residents and independent sources refute these claims. They describe Mariupol as a completely devastated, destroyed city with no basic conditions for living and reconstruction.