Bombed out hospital struck by Russian military in Mariupol, Ukraine
Bombed out hospital struck by Russian military in Mariupol, UkraineREUTERS

A 91-year old Holocaust survivor who lived through the Nazi occupation of Mariupol in 1941 has died during the Russian siege of the Ukrainian city.

Vanda Obiedkova was 10-years old when Nazi troops entered Mariupol and began rounding up Jews, but she escaped by hiding in a basement, the Washington Post reported.

Thousands of Jews from the city were deported and murdered, including Obiedkova’s mother.

Obiedkova, now 91-years old, was again hiding in a basement as Russian soldiers bombed the city for weeks. On April 4, she passed away.

“81 years after Nazi regime, she died. Dying in a basement, freezing, pleading for water, Holocaust survivor asked: “Why is this happening?” Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

An estimated 10,000 Holocaust survivors lived in Ukraine before the Russian invasion.

The situation in Mariupol is increasingly dire for the remaining residents, with evacuation plans for the city up in the air, as Russian and Ukrainian officials are unable to come to an arrangement, with each blaming the other.

Videos from the city posted online have shown bodies of civilians lining the streets. The remaining Ukrainian soldiers in the area have said they are running dangerously low on supplies.

On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would consider trading Russian prisoners of war in exchange for getting the remaining civilians safely out of Mariupol. So far, Russia has not agreed to the offer.