The Russians had to destroy Mariupol to liberate it and bring it back to Mother Russia. That is the logic of Putin’s war which may sound strange to the Western way of thinking, but it is in keeping with centuries of Russian thought.

Mariupol has a long and at times, difficult history. From nomads to Genghis Khan and the Golden Horde, through the Ottoman empire and into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Mariupol managed to survive the Russian Revolution and terrible civil war and even the Nazi occupation, but it faces its greatest test as the “liberating” Russian army is now in control of a ghost town.

The link to an article by Norman Davies, the preeminent historian on Easter Europe will help to put the entire war in proper context. Once you understand the Russian context, you will understand there are no limits to this war, and indeed, it is only for starters.

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-founding-conquering-and-destruction-of-mariupol-