Ukraine fears around 300 people were killed in the Mariupol theatre bombing earlier this month.

       Russian forces dropped a bomb on the theatre where more than 1,000 civilians – including women and children – were said to be sheltering in the besieged city on March 16, local officials said.

       It has taken several days for details on the suspected death toll to emerge.

       But as the deadly war entered its second month today the city council posted on Telegram: “Unfortunately, we start this day with bad news.

       “From eyewitnesses, information appeared that about 300 people died in the drama theatre of Mariupol as a result of a bombardment by a Russian aircraft.”

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       Mariupol has been under continual bombardment from Russian artillery for over two weeks and has become a grim symbol of Ukraine’s suffering in the war which has now lasted more than a month.

       Rescue efforts had been hindered by the complete breakdown of social services in the city and fears of future Russian attacks, Serhiy Taruta – former head of the Donetsk region - previously said in an interview on Ukrainian TV.

       Burning high-rise apartment buildings in Mariupol after Russian attacks

       (EPA)

       “People are doing everything themselves. My friends went to help, but due to constant shelling it was not safe. People are clearing away the rubble themselves,” he said.

       “There is no rescue operation, because the services that are supposed to rescue people, to treat them, to bury them, these services no longer exist.”

       People at a peace rally in Prague light candles for those killed in the Mariupol theatre

       (EPA)

       In a statement shared by the Mariupol city council, a spokesperson said:

       “Until the last, I want to believe that everyone managed to escape. But the words of those who were inside the building at the time of this terrorist act say otherwise.

       “The Drama Theatre in the heart of Mariupol has always been the hallmark of the city. A place of meetings, dates, a point of reference. ‘Where are you? I’m on Drama.’ How many times have we heard or said this phrase: ‘on the Drama’.

       “Now there is no more Drama. In its place, a new point of pain for Mariupol residents appeared, ruins that became the last refuge for hundreds of innocent people.”

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       (Press Association Images)

       According to latest figures from the UN human rights office, a total of 1,035 people have been killed as of March 24 including 78 children- though these numbers are believed to be considerably higher pending corroboration from cities such as Mariupol where hostilities are ongoing.

       The Independent has a proud history of campaigning for the rights of the most vulnerable, and we first ran our Refugees Welcome campaign during the war in Syria in 2015.

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       Now, as we renew our campaign and launch this petition in the wake of the unfolding Ukrainian crisis, we are calling on the government to go further and faster to ensure help is delivered.

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