Italian minister of culture says Italy ready to rebuild bombed Ukrainian theater

The Italian minister of culture offered Italy’s help in rebuilding a theater that was bombed earlier this week in Ukraine while hundreds of people were hiding inside.

“Italy is ready to rebuild the Theatre of #Mariupol. The cabinet of Ministers has approved my proposal to offer #Ukraine the resources and means to rebuild it as soon as possible. Theaters of all countries belong to the whole humanity #worldheritage,” Italian culture minister Dario Franceschini tweeted. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the Italian official over Twitter.

“Thanks @dariofrance. You set a good example to follow. Together we will rebuild the country to the last brick,” Zelensky said.

On Wednesday, Ukrainian officials said that a theater in Mariupol, Ukraine, had been struck by Russian forces. Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said hundreds of civilians had been hiding inside the theater, calling the bombing a “horrendous war crime.”

The word “children” marked both sides of the theater.

The development comes as the conflict has raged on for more than three weeks, with Ukraine accusing Russia of attacking a children’s hospital, a cancer hospital, a mosque and a Holocaust memorial site, among other civilian structures. 

On Wednesday, President Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” and Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday he believed that the atrocities taking place in Ukraine were war crimes.