A new Russian documentary, 'Witnesses,' filmed on the stage of the rebuilt Mariupol theater, claims to present evidence that Ukraine was responsible for the March 2022 bombing that killed hundreds of civilians. The film features Italian journalist Vittorio Nicola Rangeloni interviewing survivors who assert the Ukrainian military staged a diversionary attack. Ukrainian officials and international analysts have dismissed the film as propaganda, part of a systematic campaign to falsify events and deny Russian war crimes.
The theater, where people had written 'children' outside, became a global symbol of the atrocity. The Associated Press investigation concluded about 600 were killed by a Russian airstrike. James Verini, author of 'The Theater,' states none of the many survivors he spoke with saw any evidence of Ukrainian subterfuge.
Experts suggest Russia aims to shift perception from an established war crime to a disputed incident.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing