Three years ago, Russia dropped a bomb on the Drama Theater in Mariupol where people sheltered with children

On March 16, 2022, Russian forces dropped a powerful bomb on the Donetsk Academic Regional Drama Theatre in Mariupol, Ukraine, a building serving as a shelter for hundreds of civilians during the intense siege of the city. The theater, a designated refuge amidst the ongoing invasion, had the word "Дети" ("Children" in Russian) written in large white letters on the ground outside, clearly visible from the air, signaling the presence of non-combatants, including women, children, and the elderly. Despite this, the airstrike demolished much of the structure, trapping many under rubble; estimates of the death toll vary widely, with Ukrainian officials and later investigations, such as one by the Associated Press, suggesting up to 600 people may have perished, while Amnesty International confirmed at least a dozen deaths with likely many more. The attack, widely condemned as a deliberate war crime, underscored the brutal targeting of civilian infrastructure, as survivors emerged from the basement shelter amidst ongoing Russian denials of responsibility, falsely attributing the strike to Ukrainian forces.

Russian attacks in Nikopol killed one person and injured three, including children

On March 15, Russian forces attacked the town of Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast over a dozen times, killing a 70-year-old woman and injuring three others, including two young girls aged 11 and 3, according to Governor Serhii Lysak. The injured children are receiving medical treatment in Dnipro, while another woman, aged 57, is being treated as an outpatient. Ukraine's General Prosecutor's Office has launched a war crimes investigation due to the civilian casualties.

The attacks, carried out with artillery and drones, caused significant destruction, damaging a religious institution, five homes, two outbuildings, 15 solar panels, a car, and a power line. Nikopol, located near the Kakhovka Reservoir and across from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, remains a frequent target of Russian strikes.

Russia exploits narrative of Ukrainian "war crimes" in Kursk Oblast to avoid ceasefire negotiations

Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials are intensifying false accusations against Ukraine, claiming that Ukrainian troops committed war crimes during operations in Russia's Kursk Oblast, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). Analysts believe this is part of a Kremlin strategy to undermine ongoing negotiations for a 30-day ceasefire proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. The ISW notes that Putin and pro-Kremlin media have recently escalated rhetoric accusing Ukrainian forces of atrocities in Kursk, despite lacking evidence. On March 13 and 14, Putin publicly questioned whether Ukrainian troops should be allowed to withdraw from Kursk Oblast, accusing them of committing crimes and "terrorism" against civilians. Russian ultranationalists and state media have amplified these unsubstantiated claims, pushing a narrative that seeks to erode Western support for Ukraine and delay ceasefire discussions.

ISW suggests that by falsely labeling Ukrainian soldiers as war criminals, Putin is employing the same tactics Russia used in 2021-2022 to justify its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This narrative also enables Russian nationalist voices to argue against any ceasefire and to legitimize harsh treatment of Ukrainian soldiers. Furthermore, ISW has documented a sharp rise in Russian-confirmed executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) throughout 2024 and early 2025, likely ordered by Russian military leaders. Notably, Russian forces allegedly executed Ukrainian POWs near Sudzha in Kursk Oblast on March 13, reinforcing concerns over Russia's violations of international law.