After the roaring success at the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in Turin, the victorious band Kalusha Orchestra made an emotional appeal to the audience of millions: “A request to all of you: help Ukraine, Mariupol and the people in the Azov steelworks!” Said singer Oleh Psyuk. A haunting note of solidarity in the normally apolitical euro music competition.
Now the Russian attackers have apparently fired phosphorus bombs at the huge industrial site. Local councilor Petro Andryushchenko wrote on the Telegram news channel on Sunday: “Hell has come to earth. To Azovstal”. Phosphorus bombs, which were also used in World War II, ignite on contact with oxygen and are difficult to extinguish. Their use has a devastating effect and is banned under the Geneva War Weapons Convention.
The Ukrainian secret service has published excerpts of a tapped telephone conversation between Russian soldiers. “Phosphorus bombs, cluster munitions – they allowed us to use everything that was forbidden,” a soldier is said to have said in this phone call. MP Andryushchenko published pictures showing handwritten messages on bombs. These relate directly to Ukraine’s ESC win. It is not yet clear where the recordings came from.
The shells of the bombs read in Russian: “Kalusha, as requested! Auf Azovstal” and in English “Help Mariupol – Help Azovstal right now”; with reference to May 14th. A perfidious answer to the Turin appeal.
Various Telegram hate comments welcome the phosphorus bombs as a “little greeting” for the ESC victory. This was reported in the Russian media, but unlike in previous years, state television did not show the international show. Because of the war of aggression, Russia is excluded from the ESC.
It is unclear how Oleh Psjuk and his crew will continue. The singer celebrates his 28th birthday today and will return to Ukraine. It is still unclear whether he will be drafted into the army. Only this much from him: “We are ready to fight as much as we can and go to the end”.