For weeks the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol has been under constant bombardment from Russian artillery. With the city in ruins, residents who risked everything to escape can now tell their stories
When Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine exactly four weeks ago, all eyes were on the capital, Kyiv, as Russian forces advanced from all directions. But the Russian army had other objectives too, and taking the southern port city of Mariupol was high among them. If they could do this, they would be able to join up Russian-held Crimea with the Russian-held areas of eastern Ukraine and create a land corridor to Russia itself.
As Isobel Koshiw tells Hannah Moore, the story of Mariupol in the past month has been one of siege, bombardment and almost unimaginable hardship. Residents tell of having to drink water from their radiators and cook over fires in the street, as electricity, gas and water supplies have all been cut off. And with the internet and phone lines down, the city has become not only unreachable but also uncontactable, for the most part.