Terrible images and lives have been wired out of the bombed-out coastal city.
Mariupol has early been in Russia's sights in the hunt for a complete headland between Crimea and the Donbas.
According to Russian researcher Martin Kragh, the city has become an example for Russian President Vladimir Putin, to show what happens if Russia's demands are not met.
See the timeline of all the major events in Mariupol during the war.