CNN’s Newsroom discussed the dire situation on the ground in Ukraine’s Mariupol on Wednesday with correspondent Phil Black, who was on the ground in Lviv.
Anchor Alisyn Camerota asked Black “What about Mariupol?” after he gave an updated assessment of the state of play of the Russian military in Ukraine, noting “that’s where we understand 100,000 people are still trapped.”
“We have no idea how terrible things are there in reality, but everything we hear points to it being an absolutely calamitous humanitarian situation. Much of the city has been destroyed, you are right,” Black responded.
“Could be as many as 150, 160,000 people still there and they are running out of food, water, medicine, and it has been like this for some time, while still living in a siege under bombardment with fighting taking place in the city,” he continued.
“Now, we are hearing disturbing reports we can’t confirm, but this is from Mariupol City Council. They say Russian forces are bringing in essentially mobile cremation facilities and the accusation from Mariupol council is that they’re going to use these to cover up what has happened and that means burning bodies,” he added, relaying the horrific accusation from Ukrainian officials.
“No one knows precisely how many people have died in Mariupol during the many weeks of the siege, but given the scale of the destruction that has taken place there, the expectation is the number is very, very high. And
“Just awful,” responded Camerota.
The accusation of Russia deploying mobile cremation units has been made since late February, days after Russia began its brutal invasion of Ukraine. Initial reports of the units were about Russian forces using the mobile crematoriums to “evaporate” their own dead soldiers to hide losses.
NBC News’ Richard Engel called reports that Russians brought mobile cremation machines into Ukraine “credible” in mid-March, but added at the time that there has been “no evidence” they have actually been used.
Watch the full clip above, via CNN.