Russia is being condemned for the ‘reprehensible’ act of targeting Ukrainian civilians as bombings on Mariupol continue. 

Ukraine’s foreign ministry says Russian forces dropped a powerful bomb on a theatre where hundreds of civilians were sheltering.

The attack came shortly after the location appeared on national television.

Another horrendous war crime in Mariupol. Massive Russian attack on the Drama Theater where hundreds of innocent civilians were hiding. The building is now fully ruined. Russians could not have not known this was a civilian shelter. Save Mariupol! Stop Russian war criminals! pic.twitter.com/bIQLxe7mli

— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) March 16, 2022

Ukrainian Studies Professor Marko Pavlyshyn told Neil Breen there was no justification.

“It has now turned into open slaughter of, and indiscriminate killing of civilians.

“[It] is of course, completely unacceptable, reprehensible and outrageous from any perspective.

“Whether it be international relations, norms of conduct of war or indeed, ordinary, commonsense humanity.”

Press PLAY below to hear Professor Pavlyshyn answer whether Putin has ‘a way out’ of the disaster

International law expert Keith Suter told Sofie Formica an alliance with Belarus could be on rocky grounds as Russia continues to struggle for military success in Ukraine.

“I think Lukashenko and Putin don’t always have the best relationship,” Dr Suter said. “He probably will not be very comfortable being seen as in Putin’s shadow.

“For the long-term security of his own country, he doesn’t want to be seen as too supportive of Russia, for fear his own country will also attract the sort of international sanctions which are wrecking the Russian economy.”

Press PLAY below to hear Keith Suter’s look at the Russian state of affairs

Image: Dmytro Kuleba / Twitter