On the anniversary of the Russian bombing of the theater in Mariupol, which, according to Kyiv, killed more than 300 civilians, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi on Thursday recalled the tragedy and assured that Russia would pay for it.

In a video address to the population, which was picked up by local agencies, the Ukrainian leader recalled the massacre of civilians who were hiding from the Russian bombardment on the scene of Mariupol, a city on the coast of the Sea. This was reported by Azov, EFE and Agerpres agencies on Thursday.

“A year ago, Russia deliberately and brutally dropped a powerful bomb on the Drama Theater in the center of Mariupol. On the side of the house was written “Children”, something impossible to ignore. “Hundreds of people were hiding there from the bombings,” Zelenskyy said.

“The (Russian) terrorist state will be held accountable for everything it has done,” he announced, reiterating that “step by step we are moving forward to ensure that the terrorist state is held accountable for what it has done to our country and our people”.

“We remember everyone whose lives were cut short by Russian terror,” Zelensky emphasized.

The Russians completely destroyed the building after the occupation of the city

The Drama Theater in Mariupol, which was used as a shelter, was bombed by Russian planes on March 16, 2022. According to Ukrainian authorities, at least 300 people died during the attack.

The Russians destroyed the remains of the building after occupying the city to, according to Kyiv authorities, “hide the traces of their crimes” in the city, which has been besieged by Kremlin forces for several weeks, causing a humanitarian disaster.

Zelenskyi’s statements were made in the context of the fact that it became known that the International Criminal Court may open two cases of war crimes against Russia related to the invasion of Ukraine, and may issue arrest warrants for a number of people.

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