Zelenskyy: Russia killed about 20,000 in Mariupol

Ukraine had information that Russian forces killed approximately 20,000 people in Mariupol, but an exact death toll cannot be determined without on-site investigations, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in an interview with Italian journalist Cecilia Sali for Il Foglio.

"But I cannot specify the exact number. Thousands were in captivity. Imagine, most from that direction [Mariupol] were prisoners. We have returned 4,000. But thousands remain — this is an example," the president said.

He added that occupying forces deported up to 19,000 children from southern Ukraine, particularly Mariupol. Moreover, Russian troops killed or sent Mariupol residents who participated in protests to torture chambers.

"We are talking about hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands. Additionally, active combat occurred there, and many people were wounded or died under rubble," Zelenskyy said.

The president stressed that Russian forces destroyed a significant number of buildings in Mariupol and rushed to rebuild them to conceal civilian casualties. He drew parallels between Mariupol and Grozny, leveled by Russia during the Chechen war.

"During the Chechen war, when they [Chechens] fought for their independence, Grozny was erased — not a single building remained. They [Russian army] destroyed the entire city and later built a new one," Zelenskyy said. He accused Russia of reconstructing Mariupol to "hide all the people they killed."