300 feared dead in Russian attack on Mariupol theatre: Report

On March 16, the Russian military dropped a powerful bomb on the cinema hall in Ukraine's Mariupol city.

Ukrainian officials on the port city of Ukraine Mariupol, on Friday, stated that they feared 300 people could have died in the last week's Russian strike on a theatre, where hundreds were taking refuge in theatre.  

The Maripol city hall noted on Telegram that information from the eyewitnesses is emerging that nearly 300 people have died in the drama theatre of Mariupol after the strikes by Russian aircraft.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that last week after the Russian strike, hundreds of people, mostly women and children, had taken refuge in the building at the time of the attack.

Mariupol city hall stated on Friday that the theatre was completely destroyed in a cynical attack and claimed that Russia was aware that civilians were inside the building. 

Zelenskyy states around 100,000 people are trapped in the besieged city without food, water or power and enduring fierce shelling by Russian forces.

On Thursday, the leader of the Russia's southern republic of Chechnya stated that troops from his region had taken control over the Mariupol city hall and hoisted the Russian flag.