Beneath the Rubble: Documenting Devastation and Loss in Mariupol

Interactive Report

During February and May of 2022, the Russian military’s assault on the Ukrainian city of Mariupol left thousands of civilians dead and injured. Many were trapped for weeks without basic services, including electricity, running water, and health care. The assault on Mariupol stands as one of the worst chapters of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Conducted jointly by Human Rights Watch, Truth Hounds, and SITU Research, this investigation documents Russia’s horrific destruction of Mariupol, which turned a once thriving city into a wasteland of charred buildings, shallow graves, and immeasurable human suffering and loss.

The extensive research culminates in a 215-page interactive report, “‘Our City Was Gone’: Russia’s Devastation of Mariupol, Ukraine,” an accompanying digital multimedia feature, and a 20-minute video that analyzes the civilian suffering and damage to thousands of buildings, including several hundred high-rise apartments, hospitals, educational facilities, and electricity and water infrastructure. It also includes an analysis of grave sites to help estimate the death toll.

The report is based on 240 interviews with mostly displaced Mariupol residents by Human Rights Watch and Truth Hounds, a leading Ukrainian human rights organization, and an analysis of over 850 photos and videos, documents, and dozens of satellite images by Human Rights Watch and SITU Research. The digital multimedia feature includes 3D reconstructions of seven of the eighteen buildings damaged and destroyed in apparently unlawful attacks. The seven reconstructed buildings include one hospital, a university, and residential buildings serving as shelters, as well as some single family homes. In those attacks, Human Rights Watch and Truth Hounds found either no evidence of a Ukrainian military presence in or near the structures hit or only a minor military presence, making them apparently unlawful.

Accountability

The report’s call to action states that Russian President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials should be investigated and appropriately prosecuted for their role in apparent war crimes committed by Russian forces during the fighting there. Russia should provide reparations to victims of laws-of-war violations and their families. On December 4, 2023, Human Rights Watch sent the Russian government a summary of the report’s findings and a list of questions but, as of February 1, had not received a response. To read more about the accountability efforts, visit “Who’s Responsible” on the HRW report.

Public Events

To launch the report, a series of panel discussions and film screenings were organized by HRW and various partners.

Kyiv: Launch event - February 8, 2024

The first launch event took place in Kyiv with the participation of Ukrainian government officials, diplomats, UN representatives, civil society, media, and residents from Mariupol, with performances from members of the Mariupol Chamber Orchestra and an actor from Mariupol. It included a screening of the film, followed by a panel discussion.

Maryna Slobodyanuk, the director of investigations for Truth Hounds, led the discussion with Mariupol’s deputy mayor (the most senior official who stayed in the city during the first weeks of Russia’s assault), a journalist who created a platform to commemorate those who died, and Dmytro, the 19-year-old who recorded a video diary during the siege and who’s featured in the film.

Roman Avramenko, the director of Truth Hounds, gave the welcome speech and an overview of the project. Alexx Perepölov, former Crisis and Conflict consultant with Human Rights Watch, discussed the past two years of research and described the damage assessment process. Ida Sawyer, Director of Crisis, Conflict and Arms with Human Rights Watch discussed who’s responsible and calls to action.

Brussels: The way forward for accountability for war crimes committed in Ukraine – February 15, 2024

The event which took place at the European Parliament began with the film screening followed by a policy discussion on how the EU can advance accountability for war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine. Welcome and opening remarks were made by H.E. Vsevolod Chentsov, Head of Mission of Ukraine to the EU. The panel discussion was joined by Ida Sawyer, HRW, Director Crisis, Conflict and Arms Division, Roman Avramenko, Truth Hounds, Executive Director, Mr. Tomasz Grzywaczewski, Journalist and war correspondent, Director of the documentary “Erasing the nation”, Mr. Vincent Jamin, Eurojust, Administrative Director and Mr. Vadym Boichenko, Mayor of Mariupol (remote participation).

Berlin: Towards Justice: Accountability for War Crimes in Ukraine – March 18, 2024

The event was co-hosted by Human Rights Watch, Centre for Fundamental Rights at the Hertie School (a public policy university in Berlin) and Vitsche, a Ukrainian NGO. The event, framed around the issue of accountability for Russian war crimes in Ukraine, opened with the screening of the film followed by a discussion with Anastasia and Anna Hrechkina, activists, and former residents of Mariupol. The discussion was moderated by Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia, Director at Human Rights Watch and centered around their experiences during the siege of Mariupol and their memory of the city.

The event concluded with a panel discussion and Q&A with Richard Weir, Crisis, Conflict and Arms Senior Researcher at Human Rights Watch, Anastasia Hrechkina, Christoph Essert, who leads on law and human rights issues on the Ukraine desk at the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Yuriy Uhryn, a Legal Counsel at our partner Truth Hounds. The panel was led by Başak Çalı, Professor of International Law, and Director of the Hertie School's Centre for Fundamental Rights.

New York City: Film Screening and Panel Discussion Beneath the Rubble: Documenting Devastation and Loss In Mariupol – April 16, 2024

The Ukrainian Museum and Cooper Union hosted this program, organized by SITU Research and Human Rights Watch. The screening of the film was followed by a panel including Ida Sawyer, Director of Crisis, Conflict and Arms with Human Rights Watch, Sam Dubberley, Director of Technology, Rights and Investigations with Human Rights Watch, Brad Samuels, Director of SITU Research, and Evan Grothjan, Senior Researcher of SITU Research.

To read the joint press release, click here.

The report “‘Our City Was Gone’: Russia’s Devastation of Mariupol, Ukraine” is available here.