Mariupol justice declaration adopted in Wrocław, Skorka among signatories

WROCLAW – The Mariupol Justice Declaration was signed on Oct. 13 for the first time that formally recognizes the deliberate destruction of Mariupol by Russian forces as a tragedy of global significance.

Miroslaw Skorka, head of the Association of Ukrainians in Poland, was among the signatories, alongside Wrocław Mayor Jacek Sutryk, Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko, and Marek Mutor, First Deputy Director of the Ossolineum National Institute.

Located in the northern coast of the Azov Sea in the Ukrainian southeastern part of Donetsk region, Mariupol as the second most populous regional city was a strategic industrial port city with a pre-war population of nearly half a million people. 

Its position made it a key logistical hub that linked eastern Ukraine with the wider Black Sea region. When Russia launched its all-out invasion in February 2022, the city became one of the primary targets of Moscow’s campaign to seize control of Ukraine’s south. 

In the spring of 2022, Mariupol experienced one of the war’s most brutal sieges. Russian forces encircled the city, cutting off water, and humanitarian aid while carrying out relentless shelling and airstrikes. Mostly civilian infrastructure was targeted and by May 2022, the city was almost completely reduced to ruins, with tens of thousands killed and many more displaced. 

The Mariupol City Council said the signing of the declaration is an important act of international solidarity and will help preserve historical memory at the global level.

The declaration aims to document Russia’s war crimes in Mariupol, classify them as violations of the laws of war and acts of genocide, establish mechanisms for international compensation, hold perpetrators accountable, and support the integration of displaced Mariupol residents.

“Poland’s experience is extremely important for us. This is about historical justice, preserving our identity and memory,” said Boychenko. 

He added that recognition of Mariupol’s tragedy is a necessary foundation for European stability, not a privilege.