Russian forces continued their relentless shelling of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, striking a mosque-turned-shelter as world leaders continued to try and pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to end his vengeful war.
Ukrainian officials confirmed Russian forces shelled a mosque in the center of Mariupol. The building, modeled after an elegant Turkish mosque, had more than 80 citizens holed up in it as the Russian military bombed the area. The Ukrainian minister of foreign affairs said in tweet scores of Turkish citizens were among those seeking shelter from Russian attacks.
The shelling came as Mariupol has emerged as the central source of conflict since the war began last month. The city has grown increasingly isolated due to Russian forces blocking supply deliveries, evacuation efforts, and burial efforts. According to the Associated Press, one group of Russian soldiers had bombed an apartment building Friday, while another launched sniper attacks on a group of hospital workers.
The Mariupol attacks coincided with the arrest of the city of Melitopol’s mayor—prompting hundreds to protest in the streets for his release—and bombings on the outskirts of Kyiv. The demonstrations were encouraged by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who urged those in Moscow to heed their calls.
“The fact that the whole Ukrainian people resist these invaders has already gone down in history, but we do not have the right to let up our defense, no matter how difficult it may be for us,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky also acknowledged the war’s cost to Ukrainian forces. He said Saturday that 1,300 Ukrainian soldiers had died since the war began, while the U.N. human rights office reported that nearly 500 civilians had been killed. Still, Zelensky said his resolve hadn’t wavered, and if Russian forces wanted to capture the capital city of Kyiv, they would need to carpet bomb the city—with everyone in it. “If that is their goal, let them come,” he challenged.
Meanwhile, international leaders are urging Putin to enter into an immediate ceasefire.
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz held a 90-minute phone call with Putin on Saturday to press for diplomacy, according to the three countries. Putin accused Ukraine of many of Russia’s own transgressions during the war, including taking civilians hostage and putting military units near civilian areas, according to a Financial Times reporter. The three countries agreed the conversations, including negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, would continue.
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators—Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Rob Portman (R-OH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Roger Wicker (R-MS)—traveled to Poland for the weekend to reinforce U.S. support of both Poland and Ukraine, they said in a press release.
Pope Francis also called for the end of the war, pointing to the violence’s impact on children.
“Never war! Think first about the children, about those who are deprived of the hope for a dignified life,” he said in a Twitter statement. “In the name of God, stop!”
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