Mariupol resident Alex captured raw footage of civilians scrambling for safety this week as air raid sirens pierced the silence in the embattled Ukrainian city. 'You hear the alarm and your body just reacts,' he told myglobalnews.net, filming dozens of residents huddled in a subterranean bomb shelter. 'No one knows if it'll hit your block or the next one. You pray and wait.'
The video, shared exclusively with our team, shows families clutching emergency bags while children sketch on concrete walls to pass the time. Analysts note Mariupol has endured over 200 airstrikes this year alone—a 45% increase from 2023—according to UN conflict monitoring data. Local NGOs report 84% of the city's shelters lack adequate medical supplies.
'This isn't just about geopolitics,' said Kyiv-based crisis response coordinator Lina Kovalenko. 'These are human beings recalibrating daily life around survival.' The footage has sparked discussions globally about urban warfare's psychological toll, trending #MariupolAlerts across social platforms.
Reference(s):
Exclusive Stringer Dispatch: When air raid sirens sound in Ukraine
cgtn.com
