Russia is said to have fired phosphorus bombs on the Azov steelworks in the port city of Mariupol, according to Ukrainian sources. “Hell has come to earth. To Azovstal,” Mariupol city council deputy Petro Andryushchenko wrote on Sunday in the Telegram news channel. He spoke of phosphorus bombs, but there was initially no evidence.
Such incendiary bombs are ignited by contact with oxygen and cause devastating damage. Their use against humans is forbidden. Andryushchenko released a video with aerial photos showing a rain of fire falling on the plant. Artillery shelling of the industrial zone could also be seen on the initially unverifiable recordings of unclear origin.
The commander of the Donetsk separatist brigade “Vostok” (east), Alexander Khodakowski, and Russian war correspondents also published the video on Sunday and spoke of an attack on the factory premises with incendiary projectiles.
Andryushchenko also published pictures showing inscriptions on bombs. Accordingly, the Russian military is said to have reacted to Ukraine’s victory in the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC). It was unclear where these photos came from.
The alleged bombs read in Russian: “Kalusha, as requested! Auf Azowstal” and in English “Help Mariupol – Help Azovstal right now” (in German: Help Mariupol – Help Azovstal immediately) with the date May 14. The singer of the ESC victorious band Kalush Orchestra said these words in an appeal on the stage in Turin.
In Ukrainian comments one could read that the phosphorus bombs were the Russian salute to the ESC victory. Russian media reported the victory on Sunday night, but unlike in previous years, state television was not allowed to show the show. Russia is excluded from the ESC because of the war of aggression against Ukraine.
