January 2015 Mariupol rocket attack

January 2015 Mariupol rocket attack
Part of War in Donbas
Tetrapod in Mariupol with pro-Ukrainian and pro-peace graffiti
January 2015 Mariupol rocket attack is located in Ukraine
January 2015 Mariupol rocket attack
Location of Mariupol in Ukraine
LocationMariupol, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine
Date24 January 2015; 9 years ago
Attack type
Rocket attack
Deaths31[1][2]
Injured108[3][4]
PerpetratorsDonetsk People's RepublicLuhansk People's RepublicRussia Russian separatist forces in Donbas (per Ukraine)[5][6]

A rocket attack on Mariupol was launched on 24 January 2015 by Russian and pro-Russian forces against the strategic maritime city of Mariupol, defended by Ukrainian government forces. Mariupol had come under attack multiple times in the previous year in the course of the War in Donbas, including in May–June 2014, when the city was under the control of Russian controlled forces; and in the September 2014 offensive.

On 24 January 2015, the Mariupol city council and regional police said the city was subjected to indiscriminate[7] rocket fire from the long-range Grad systems, killing at least 30 and injuring 128.[8] Ukrainian officials said the rebels and the Russian military were responsible.[9] According to Ukrainian intelligence, the attack was ordered by full-time Russian military commanders.[10] In 2018, the Bellingcat open-data investigative group revealed evidence that officers and equipment of Russian forces were directly involved in the attack.[11][12] The rebels denied the attack, but their leader, Alexander Zakharchenko, announced an offensive against Mariupol in the early morning of this day.[13][14]

According to a spot report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, the Grad and Uragan rockets originated from the areas controlled by the pro-Russian forces.[15][16] United Nations political chief Jeffrey D. Feltman said the attacks "knowingly targeted civilians," violated international humanitarian law, and could amount to war crimes.[17] The attack on Mariupol came 11 days after the deadly Volnovakha bus attack, when a rocket strike targeted a government checkpoint in the town of Volnovakha, hitting a passenger bus which resulted in the death of 12 civilians. Government officials attributed the incident to the separatists, but the rebels denied carrying out the attack.[18]

  1. ^ "Shelling in Mariupol: 29 people killed, 102 wounded (UPDATE, VIDEO)". KyivPost. 24 January 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  2. ^ "Ukraine: Rising Civilian Death Toll - Human Rights Watch". 3 February 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  3. ^ "Confirmed death toll from Mariupol rocket attack rises to 31". Ukraine Today. 28 January 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  4. ^ "Количество погибших в Мариуполе увеличилось до 31 человека - МВД". Ukrayinska Pravda. 28 January 2015.
  5. ^ "SBU says it has proof Russian military were behind Mariupol shelling that killed 30 people (VIDEO)". KyivPost. 26 January 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  6. ^ Oleksandr Turchynov (24 January 2015). "Відповідальність за вбитих мирних громадян внаслідок обстрілу Маріуполя лежить безпосередньо на Путіні, — заява Секретаря РНБО України" [Responsibility for civilians killed as the result of the shelling of Mariupol lies squarely with Putin — stated the NSDC Secretary of Ukraine]. National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  7. ^ Leonard, Peter (Jan 24, 2015). "Rockets Kill 29 in Ukrainian City as Rebels Launch Offensive". ABCNews. Archived from the original on 2015-01-24.
  8. ^ "Маріупольці вшанували пам'ять жертв обстрілу Східного". Громадське ТБ Приазов'я (in Ukrainian). 2016-01-24. Retrieved 2017-12-01.
  9. ^ "Missile attack kills at least 15 in Mariupol, east Ukraine". The Guardian. 24 January 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  10. ^ Olearchyk, Roman (26 January 2015). "Nato accuses Russia over worsening Ukrainian crisis". Financial Times. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  11. ^ "Bellingcat: 9 Russian officers directed Ukraine attack". AP NEWS. 2018-05-07. Retrieved 2019-02-05.
  12. ^ "Full Report: Russian Officers and Militants Identified as Perpetrators of the January 2015 Mariupol Artillery Strike". bellingcat. 2018-05-10. Retrieved 2019-02-05.
  13. ^ "Rebels say launched attack on Mariupol as 20 killed in east Ukraine city". Reuters. 24 January 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  14. ^ "Ukrainian rebel leader says separatists launched attack on Mariupol: RIA". Reuters. 2015-01-24. Retrieved 2021-04-08.
  15. ^ OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine. "Spot report by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), 24 January 2015: Shelling Incident on Olimpiiska Street in Mariupol". OSCE. Mariupol. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  16. ^ "Ukraine rebels launch new assaults after Mariupol bloodbath". Telegraph.co.uk. 25 January 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  17. ^ "UN: Deadly Attack on Ukraine City Could Be War Crime". The New York Times. Associated Press. 26 January 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  18. ^ "Ukraine conflict: Shell hits bus 'killing 12' in Buhas". BBC News. 13 January 2015.

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