By — Nick Schifrin Nick Schifrin By — Dan Sagalyn Dan Sagalyn By — Madison Staten Madison Staten By — Satvi Sunkara Satvi Sunkara By — Veronica Vela Veronica Vela By — Zeba Warsi Zeba Warsi By — Juliet Fuisz Juliet Fuisz By — Alexa Gold Alexa Gold By — Zoie Lambert Zoie Lambert Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/video/compass-points/2026/07/how-the-mariupol-theater-strike-exposed-russias-brutality-in-ukraine Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Story It was perhaps the single worst act of civilian killing in Russia's war on Ukraine. The bombing of a theater in Mariupol came to symbolize Ukrainian sacrifice, and revealed Putin's true intentions. Compass Points moderator Nick Schifrin discusses one of Russia's most notorious war crimes with James Verini, author of "The Theater: Courage and Survival in the Defining Atrocity of the Ukraine War." By — Nick Schifrin Nick Schifrin Nick Schifrin is PBS News Hour’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Correspondent and serves as the host of Compass Points from PBS News. @nickschifrin By — Dan Sagalyn Dan Sagalyn As the deputy senior producer for foreign affairs and defense at the PBS NewsHour, Dan plays a key role in helping oversee and produce the program’s foreign affairs and defense stories. His pieces have broken new ground on an array of military issues, exposing debates simmering outside the public eye. @DanSagalyn By — Madison Staten Madison Staten By — Satvi Sunkara Satvi Sunkara Satvi Sunkara is a producer for PBS News. By — Veronica Vela Veronica Vela By — Zeba Warsi Zeba Warsi Zeba Warsi is a foreign affairs producer, based in Washington DC. She's a Columbia Journalism School graduate with an M.A. in Political journalism. She was one of the leading members of the NewsHour team that won the 2024 Peabody award for News for our coverage of the war in Gaza and Israel. @Zebaism By — Juliet Fuisz Juliet Fuisz By — Alexa Gold Alexa Gold Alexa Gold is a producer for PBS News. By — Zoie Lambert Zoie Lambert Zoie Lambert is an associate producer for PBS News.