Putin in Mariupol: What the Russian president saw on his visit

Driving done the ruined metropolis astatine night, Vladimir Putin has made his archetypal sojourn to Mariupol - devastated erstwhile Russian forces besieged the metropolis earlier connected successful the war.

The BBC has traced portion of the way helium took, which passed adjacent the locations of respective notorious attacks during his army's months-long assault. Russia yet overran the metropolis successful May.

Video released by Russian media amusement the Mr Putin chatting to a companion arsenic they caput towards the city's performance hall. The Kremlin says the sojourn took spot precocious connected Saturday and Mr Putin's decided "spontaneously" to circuit the city.

Mariupol's Ukrainian politician successful exile Vadym Boychenko told the BBC that Mariupol was "personal" to Mr Putin due to the fact that of what had happened there.

"We person to recognize that Mariupol is simply a symbolic spot for Putin, due to the fact that of the fury helium inflicted connected the metropolis of Mariupol. No different metropolis was destroyed similar that. No different metropolis was nether siege for truthful long. No different metropolis was subjected to carpet bombing," helium said.

"He has travel successful idiosyncratic to spot what helium has done," helium added.

Mr Putin appears to beryllium driving down Kuprina St, turning into Mir Prospekt and past into Metalurhiv Avenue, wherever the Philharmonic Concert Hall is and which helium visits aboriginal connected successful the footage.

He is sitting adjacent to a antheral successful a achromatic cap, who Russian media place arsenic Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin.

On his near arsenic they thrust down Mir Prospekt are sculptures of birds successful what was Mariupol's Freedom Square.

Further on, connected the close and not shown successful the footage, is Mariupol's Maternity Hospital Number Three, which was bombed successful a notorious incidental past March, killing 3 radical including a child.

Pictures of heavily-pregnant Mariana Vishegirskaya, her look bloodied, descending rubble-strewn steps was wide shared amid outrage astatine the attack. She survived and gave commencement the pursuing day. Another large pistillate was among the victims.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called it a warfare transgression but Russia's embassy successful London claimed the infirmary had nary longer been successful use, and was alternatively being utilized by members of the Azov regiment, which was acceptable up arsenic a unpaid militia with links to the acold close successful 2014 but had since been incorporated into Ukraine's National Guard.

Mr Putin turned disconnected Mir Prospekt conscionable earlier the roadworthy arrives astatine Theatre Square - the country of a deadly bombing that is thought to person killed astatine slightest 300 and perchance arsenic galore arsenic 600 civilians.

Civilians had been utilizing the gathering arsenic a refuge from the siege and a ample motion spelling "children" had been daubed successful Russian successful beforehand of the theatre. The gathering collapsed erstwhile it was hit. A aboriginal AP probe said up to 600 radical were killed. Russia denied bombing it and blamed the Azov battalion. In December the Ukrainian metropolis authorities successful exile said Russia was demolishing the ruins of the theatre.

Russia "understood wherever determination was a attraction of people, and deliberately destroyed these places, sidesplitting people. They systematically worked connected this", said Mr Boychenko.

Footage past shows Mr Putin connected a walking circuit of a caller residential compound, said to beryllium successful Mariupol's Nevsky district. He is guided by Mr Khusnulli, who shows him immoderate plans of the reconstruction work. He is besides seen talking to radical said by Russian media to beryllium section residents and helium besides visits an flat that helium is told is made up of 3 rooms.

Nevsky is caller territory comprising a twelve flat blocks successful the westbound of the city. It is named aft the River Neva, connected which President Vladimir Putin's location metropolis of St Petersburg stands.

Mariupol residents person been telling the BBC that caller buildings are going up and immoderate of those damaged by the Russian subject are being removed. The UN estimates that 90% of residential buildings were damaged oregon destroyed successful the Rusian onslaught,

Norwegian writer Morten Risberg, who visited Mariupol successful December, said helium saw "large-scale rebuilding and restoration" amid "destruction everyplace you looked".

"They're changing thoroughfare names and they're coating implicit Ukrainian colours with Russian colours, and they're putting Russian flags everywhere," helium told the BBC. Most of the remaining civilians successful the metropolis were "just focusing connected surviving", helium said.

Mayor Boychenko said galore of the caller buildings were connected the borderline of the city. "They built this conscionable to beryllium that their mentation of what's happening determination is true. But they lie! They prevarication that they came to liberate the city. But they destroyed it. This metropolis does not beryllium immoderate longer. And it takes 20 years to reconstruct it!" helium said.

In different portion of the footage, President Putin is seen walking done the interior of a performance hallway successful Mariupol. Russian authorities media said it was the Philharmonic Concert Hall - and the BBC has verified that the footage matches the interior of the venue.

This is the aforesaid gathering that the UN warned was to beryllium utilized to signifier trials of Ukrainian troops who held retired against Russian forces for months successful Mariupol's monolithic Azovstal robust and alloy plant. Russia yet gained implicit power of Mariupol successful May aft the defenders surrendered.

Images posted connected societal media successful August - including by Ukrainian authorities - appeared to amusement metallic cages being built connected the stage. According to the UN, prosecuting prisoners of warfare (POWs) for taking portion successful hostilities is simply a warfare crime.

But the trials ne'er took place, arsenic the POWs were aboriginal portion of a captive swap for 55 prisoners from Ukraine, including a pro-Kremlin erstwhile MP, Viktor Medvedchuk.

The latest footage from wrong the performance hallway shows the cages person been removed and the interior of the gathering has since been redecorated.

During the siege the performance hall, similar the play theatre, was utilized by civilians for shelter. The taste institutions were "where radical hid successful basements and waited for the Russian panic to end," Mr Boychenko said.

Before the penetration it had been the venue for the Mariupol Classic festival for classical music. Mr Boychenko said the festival was a "great solemnisation of classical euphony for the radical of Mariupol" that drew artists from overseas and different parts of Ukraine.

"Many radical ever gathered astatine this festival to consciousness the temper that ever prevailed successful Mariupol," helium said.

In a aboriginal shot, President Putin is seen visiting a World War Two memorial called the Liberation Memorial.