Bombs scrawled with twisted quotes from Ukraine’s Eurovision performance have reportedly been dropped on Mariupol.
Kalush Orchestra won the contest with the song Stefania, which has become a popular anthem among Ukrainians in recent weeks.
During last night’s performance, the band made an impassioned plea for the world to ‘help Maripoul’ and ‘help Azovstal now’.
Frontman Oleh Psiuk added: ‘I ask all of you, please help Ukraine.’
Mariupol is almost entirely in Russian hands, except for a few hundred Ukrainian fighters who continue to hold out in the Azovstal steel factory.
Today, images emerged of bombs destined for the city, which had been scrawled upon by Russian soldiers.
The phrases ‘Help Mariopul’ ‘Help Azovstal right now’ can be seen.
Soldiers have reportedly claimed they are doing ‘as asked’ by the Kalush Orchestra.
Other images shared on messaging app Telegram show bombs with ‘Eurovision2022’ mockingly written on the side.
Petr Andryushchenko, adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, shared the images of the Russian bombs on his own Telegram channel.
He said Putin’s forces had ‘lost their humanity’.
And online, pro-Kremlin writers outraged at Ukraine’s win have branded Eurovision ‘a freak show’ and ‘all fake.
One Russian journalist even ‘joked’ the contest should have been bombed with a ‘Satan’ missile.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky today vowed to host the Eurovision Song Contest in Mariupol next year.
He said: ‘Our courage impresses the world, our music conquers Europe.
‘Next year, Ukraine will host Eurovision.’
Mariupol, a shell of the city it once was, is almost entirely under Russian control and the steelworks face repeated attacks.
Just this morning, unverified video emerged of phosphorus bombs falling over the site.
A number of ‘sparks’ – made of up of individual munitions – can be seen going off in the clip.
Ukrainian officials claim Russian forces used 9M22C incendiary shells, with the temperature of combustion around 2-2.5 thousand degrees celsius.
Petro Andriushchenko, consultant to Mariupol’s mayor, stated professionals will evaluate the location to figure out the nature of the attack.
Soldiers in the steelworks, concealed within its labyrinth of tunnels, utilized last night’s Eurovision win as a much-needed spirits increase.
They published on Telegram: ‘Thank you to Kalush Orchestra for your support! Glory to Ukraine!’
Band members will go back to Ukraine on Monday after being offered unique consent to leave the nation to participate in the competitors.
In a current upgrade, Mr Zelensky stated Ukraine’s forces have actually made development in the east, retaking 6 towns or towns in the previous day.
In his nighttime address on Saturday, Mr Zelensky stated ‘the situation in Donbas remains very difficult’ and Russian soldiers are ‘still attempting to come out a minimum of rather triumphant”.
But he included: ‘Step by step, we are forcing the occupants to leave the Ukrainian land.’
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