New satellite images show extensive damage in Mariupol

After being battered by bombs and artillery for more than a week, new images show the horrifying level of damage done to a Ukrainian city.

New satellite images of Ukraine show the scale of destruction in the country as it continues to defend itself from Russia.

The high-quality imagery from Maxar Technologies shows the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol on Saturday after being bombed by Russian military over the course of the last week.

For comparison, Maxar Technologies also shared imagery taken of the city before the attacks, showing the full extent of the damage.

One of the shocking photos shows a smouldering, black crater in a snow covered neighbourhood in the devastated in the port city.

Smoke can also be seen rising from an apartment complex nearby.

Black smoke and flames can be seen billowing from buildings. Picture: Maxar Technologies

Extensive damage is also visible on warehouses and other buildings in the Zhovteneyvi neighbourhood, a western part of the city, which sustained heavy military strikes over the last few days, CNN reported.

Horrifyingly, the satellite images show extensive damage to a children’s and maternity hospital that was hit by Russian military strikes on Wednesday.

These shock images show the full horror of Ukraine war. Picture: Maxar Technologies

The attack was described by the country’s President Volodymyr Zelensky as an “atrocity”. At least 17 people were injured, including heavily pregnant women, mothers and staff, as a result of the attack.

“The destruction is enormous,” Mariupol city council said.

“The building of the medical facility where the children were treated recently is completely destroyed.”

The Russian military has been pounding the city with a barrage of missiles and artillery for well over a week.

As a result, residents have been “cut off”, and have no access to electricity, gas or communication lines, The NY Timesreported.

(COMBO) This image created shows the Epicentr K shopping centre in Chernihiv, Ukraine before and after being destroyed. Picture: Maxar Technologies

Maxar Technologies shared similarly horrifying images of damage done in another Ukraine city earlier in the week too – including a side-by-side snap of the Epicentr K shopping centre in Chernihiv.

The photo showed the large building in tact on February 28 but completely destroyed on March 10.

Despite the widescale carnage, Mr Zelensky remains defiant.

He declared that Russia can only take the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv if it “razes the city to the ground” at a new conference, Reuters reports.

Mr Zelensky said he is open to peace talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin but the negotiations “must begin with a ceasefire”.

Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the most outspoken critic against Putin, has also called for Russians to stand up and protest in Moscow and other cities to send a message to the president, who he described as an “insane little tsar”.

Despite being in maximum security prison, Navalny has continued to add brutal messages condemning Putin to his Instagram account.

“The war was intended to cover up the robbery of Russian citizens and divert their attention away from the country’s internal problems, from the degradation of its economy,” he posted on social media.

“The war was unleashed by the Kremlin gang to make it easier for them to steal.”