Conflict · Before and after

Drama Theatre, Mariupol

Two dated satellite photos of the same spot, 21 Jun 2021 and 29 Mar 2022. Open them in GeoWhisperer to swipe between them, check the pair and read what changed.

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What changed

Major change. Extensive structural damage is visible throughout the area between June 2021 and March 2022. The central drama theatre has lost its red roof and its central structure has collapsed into light-coloured rubble.

• Square B2high confidence
  The red roof of the drama theatre is gone, and the central section of the structure has collapsed into heaps of light-coloured debris. Large white Cyrillic lettering is visible on the paved plaza outside.
  Before: Intact building with a red roof surrounded by green trees and asphalt square. After: Red roof missing, central roof collapsed into light debris, white text on the ground nearby.
• Square B3high confidence
  Central structure inside the circular park plaza is damaged and surrounded by light debris.
  Before: Intact central circular structure and paved radial paths. After: Central structure shows damage with scattered rubble in the plaza center.
• Square B1high confidence
  Multiple building roofs are missing or severely damaged, exposing dark interiors.
  Before: Intact roofs on several commercial and residential buildings. After: Roofs are missing or damaged with debris scattered around the structures.
• Square A3high confidence
  Long apartment building roofs show large open gaps and missing sections.
  Before: Intact roof surfaces along long apartment blocks. After: Roofs are damaged with missing sections revealing dark interiors.
• Square A1high confidence
  Roofs of several buildings are damaged or missing, with debris scattered around.
  Before: Complex of intact buildings surrounded by green foliage. After: Buildings show damaged roofs and exposed structures with light debris.
• Square C2high confidence
  Buildings along the road show damaged roofs and light debris around the walls.
  Before: Intact roofs on buildings lining the street. After: Roofs are damaged and light-coloured debris is visible beside structures.

The square is split into nine numbered squares, A1 to C3. The changes above sit in B2, B3, B1, A3, A1, C2.

Differences that are not changes

Things that look different in the two photos but do not mean anything changed on the ground:

• Square B2: Trees changing from bright green foliage to bare brown branches. Not counted: season.
• Square A2: Shifts in tree foliage color and shadow angles across the ground. Not counted: season.

The photos

The movie

GeoWhisperer turns this comparison into a short film with numbered markers: watch or download the MP4.

Check it yourself

• This spot on OpenStreetMap
• Sentinel Hub EO Browser, free satellite archive
• Every dated photo of this spot in the Esri archive

The reading above was produced by GeoWhisperer from these two photos and nothing else. It describes what is visible, never why it happened or who did it, and it can miss things or misread shadows, season and viewing angle. Check every line by eye with the slider in the tool. Another OSINT tool by Henk van Ess, www.digitaldigging.org.

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