Mariupol a 'mousetrap' with bodies scattered and people melting snow to drink, says Ukrainian MP

10 March 2022, 12:45

By Tim Dodd

Ukrainian MP Dmytro Gurin tells LBC people in Mariupol are living in basements and melting snow to drink water, in a city where "bodies really lay on the streets".

It comes after armed forces minister James Heappey said that the devastating attack on a children's hospital in Mariupol yesterday amounts to a war crime, and Putin's actions in Ukraine are an "abomination".

Ukrainian officials said today that three people died in the attack in the south-eastern city, including a girl aged six, and authorities say at least 17 people were injured.

"We need secure humanitarian corridors from Mariupol, from Kharkiv, from Irpin, Bucha, from different Ukrainian cities," the Ukrainian MP told James O'Brien.

"The worst situation is in Mariupol, it's half a million people... where 300,000 people are closed in a mousetrap without heating, electricity, water, gas and mobile network.

"And it's -7 degrees C outside.

"Shelling never stops. And it was artillery before and now it's air bombing. People live in basements, people prepare food outside on open fires, people melt snow to have water.

"There is no supply of food, water, medicine. Bodies really lay on the streets, really lay. There are already mass graves for more than 100 people in Mariupol."

Mr Gurin said that those in Western countries will face questions from their children about their actions to help Ukraine.

"The only difference when you're joining [the war] is the quantity of dead Ukrainians and the questions from your children in 20 years when they will ask what did you do when 300,000 went into hunger. Because within a week we will have hunger in the centre of Europe, I'm not joking now."

Asked about a NATO-imposed no-fly zone in Ukraine, Mr Gurin said: "Yes we're asking for this, but do it over humanitarian corridors, help us evacuate people.

"Really World War Three started already, two weeks ago. Stop being delusional."