Irish Examiner view: Mariupol will be Putin’s Guernica

WARNING: This article contains graphic content. The world is watching as Russia rains bombs down on civilians, on refugees, on schools, and on shelters where non-combatants seek refuge

In his epic painting 'Guernica'. Pablo Picasso bore witness to the April 1937 bombardment of the city of Gernika. Journalists and citizens are recording Russia's attack on Ukraine, 85 years on. File picture

The relentless shelling of civilian areas has been a feature of Russian military strategy since the final months of the Second World War. Then, the Russians were allies of the Western democracies as they advanced on Berlin, the citadel of the Nazi empire. Now, they are our enemies, and are likely to be viewed in that light for many generations to come.