22,000 Mariupol Residents Have Died In Russia-Ukraine War, Officials Confirm

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has resulted in the deaths of more than 20,000 people in Mariupol, Ukrainian officials said.

At least 22,000 of the port city's residents are believed to have died following Russia's months-long siege, Petro Andriushchenko, an advisor to Mariupol's mayor, Vadym Boychenko, told CNN.

The figure was based on the communications Andriushchenko and other town hall officials had with officials still trapped inside Mariupol, but the advisor believes it could be "much higher."

Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, the chief spokesman for Russia's Ministry of Defence, announced Friday that the city's capture has been reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Politico.

Andriushchenko, who has since fled to Ukrainian-held territory, now describes Mariupol as a "city of ghosts" that has been thrown back to the Middle Ages.

"It is absolutely dark inside the city. The only lights are from Russian troops and Russian patrols. Everywhere it’s the smell of death and the smell of fire," the official was quoted as saying.

Mariupol's residents are unable to move freely and require special passes for any movement within the city, Andriushchenko alleged.

Additionally, a filtration system is currently in place to keep people from fleeing Mariupol altogether, he added.

The process of reburying the dead has also been complicated by the Russians' official insistence that reclaimed bodies have to be brought to a morgue and that any person claiming a body must agree to record a video in which they say the deceased was killed by the Ukrainian military, Andriushchenko claimed.

The official revealed on Telegram Tuesday that around 200 bodies were discovered in the rubble of a ruined high-rise building, but the corpses remained in place as locals' refusal to collect and pack them up resulted in the Russian Ministry of Emergencies leaving the site.

International Business Times could not independently verify the advisor's claims.

According to data provided by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, at least 3,942 civilians have been killed and another 4,591 have been injured in Ukraine due to Russia's ongoing invasion.

With the delays in the receipt of information as well as many reports still requiring corroboration, the agency believes the actual figures are "considerably higher."