Russian troops continue their assault on the southern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, this time taking 500 people hostage as they seized another hospital late on Tuesday, reported regional leader Pavlo Kyrylenko.
Kyrylenko went on to say that Russian forces had gathered 400 people from their nearby homes and herded them to the hospital where 100 doctors, patients and other hospital staff were already being held hostage, via the messaging app Telegram. He continued that the Russians were using the hostages as human shields.
“It’s impossible to leave the hospital, they are shooting hard,” Kyrylenko said.
The regional leader said that although the building of the hospital has been damaged, medical professionals are set up in the basement treating patients.
Last week, the Russians bombed a children’s and maternity hospital in Mariupol, killing three people.
