Chilling mock-up video shows Paris under attack as Ukraine brings horrors of the Russian invasion closer to home for Europeans and warns 'history is repeating itself - the world only stepped in when Hitler had killed millions'

  • Chilling mock-up video released by Ukraine has shown Paris being hit by bombs
  • The clip shows the Eiffel Tower coming under fire as people are heard screaming
  • It comes as Ukrainian politician Lesia Vasylenko warns of history repeating itself
  • She referred to world 'averting their eyes' from Adolf Hitler before stepping in

A chilling Ukrainian propaganda video has mocked-up Paris being attacked by airstrikes in an attempt to bring Russia's ruthless invasion of Ukraine closer to home for other countries.

The edited clip, which was shared by Oleksandr Merezhko, the chair of the Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Committee, showed what might happen if the French capital was hit by shelling. 

The bid to bring the horrors of Vladimir Putin's ruthless invasion of Ukraine closer to hope for Europeans and the rest of the world comes after a Ukrainian politician has warned of other countries 'averting' their eyes and history repeating itself.

Lesia Vasylenko said there is still time to stop President Putin 'once and for all', as she drew parallels between Russia's invasion of the Ukraine and the start of World War Two.

The footage shows a woman trying to pose with the Eiffel Tower between her hands for a photograph when it is struck by bombing, prompting the woman to run as a huge explosion is seen and people are heard screaming.

The footage shows a woman trying to pose with the Eiffel Tower between her hands for a photograph when it is struck by bombing,
The edited clip, which was shared by Oleksandr Merezhko, the chair of the Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Committee, showed what might happen if the French capital was hit by shelling

An edited clip, shared by a Ukrainian offical, showed what might happen if the French capital was hit by shelling. In the video, a woman (left) tries to pose near the Eiffel Tower when it is struck by bombs

It goes on to show fictional scenes of airships flying overhead, air raid sirens blaring while a baby shrieks, the Eiffel Tower ablaze and plumes of dark smoke rising from devastated buildings. 

A powerful caption alongside the video, which has racked up more than one million views, urged people to think if Russia's invasion of Ukraine 'were to happen in another European capital as it attempted to shed light on the horrors of the war.

Quotes from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy also flashed on screen, reading: 'We will fight till the end. Giving us a chance to live. Close the sky over Ukraine, or give us air fighters. If we fall, you fall.' 

Alongside the post, Merezhko wrote: 'We also thought that it could never happen.'

The chilling mock-up footage comes after a Ukrainian politician said history is repeating itself as she referred to the world 'averting their eyes' from Adolf Hitler before stepping in as the death toll increased.

Lesia Vasylenko, who is in Strasbourg on a diplomatic assignment, said she does not understand why people do not learn the lessons of the past, adding that it is easier to prevent death and destruction than to deal with the aftermath.

The footage goes on to show fictional scenes of airships flying overhead, air raid sirens blaring while a baby shrieks, and plumes of dark smoke rising from devastated buildings (pictured)

The footage goes on to show fictional scenes of airships flying overhead, air raid sirens blaring while a baby shrieks, and plumes of dark smoke rising from devastated buildings (pictured)

Plumes of smoke surround the Eiffel Tower in the video
Buildings are shown being destroyed in the edited footage

A powerful caption alongside the video, which has racked up more than one million views, urged people to think if Russia's invasion of Ukraine 'were to happen in another European capital as it attempted to shed light on the horrors of the war

Quotes from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy also flashed on screen, reading: 'We will fight till the end. Giving us a chance to live. Close the sky over Ukraine, or give us air fighters. If we fall, you fall'

Quotes from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy also flashed on screen, reading: 'We will fight till the end. Giving us a chance to live. Close the sky over Ukraine, or give us air fighters. If we fall, you fall'

It comes after Ukrainian MP Lesia Vasylenko (pictured) said history is repeating itself as she referred to the world 'averting their eyes' from Adolf Hitler before stepping in as the death toll increased

It comes after Ukrainian MP Lesia Vasylenko (pictured) said history is repeating itself as she referred to the world 'averting their eyes' from Adolf Hitler before stepping in as the death toll increased

Asked if she thinks the West will get involved in the war, Ms Vasylenko told Times Radio: 'The history is just repeating itself time and time again, and I don't understand what is wrong with us humans and humanity why we don't learn from the lessons.

'It's so much easier to prevent death from happening, and destruction from happening, than to later restore it and deal with all the trauma.'

She said there is still time to stop President Putin 'once and for all', as she drew parallels between Russia's invasion of the Ukraine and the start of World War Two.

She continued: 'A year ago, eight years ago was the time to do this, but nobody wanted to get involved.

'This is the same as 1938 when also the world and the United States in particular were averting their eyes from what was being done by Hitler and his Nazi Party.

'And then they stepped in when the death toll was going up by the millions.

'And it's going to be the same thing here as well, because there's just so much that humanity can take.'

Ms Vasylenko said she is grateful to people around the world who are urging their governments to act, but she claimed world leaders are still 'not listening'.

When asked if she was concerned for her safety when she returns to Ukraine, Ms Vasylenko said that she knew from 'day one' that she, and her colleagues, were 'targets' for Russians.

It comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of kidnapping the mayor of the southern port city of Melitopol.

Ms Vasylenko said: 'I don't think I know that someday in the future it could be me or any of my 426 colleagues or any one member of our families.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, column of smoke rises from burning fuel tanks that locals said were hit by five rockets at the Vasylkiv Air Base near the capital

Elsewhere in Ukraine, column of smoke rises from burning fuel tanks that locals said were hit by five rockets at the Vasylkiv Air Base near the capital

A Ukrainian serviceman exits a damaged building after shelling in Kyiv with Russians closing in on the city on March 12

A Ukrainian serviceman exits a damaged building after shelling in Kyiv with Russians closing in on the city on March 12

'We knew this from day one that we are targets on a special Russian list, and there's the fate of each one of us is predetermined already in that list.

'When it will happen, if it will happen, I don't know.

'And I hope that, and I have confidence in the armed forces of Ukraine, that that will not be happening anytime soon.'

Ukrainian officials claimed on Friday that Russian soldiers had kidnapped Melitopol mayor Ivan Fedorov from the city's crisis centre.

CCTV footage, posted on Telegram by the deputy head of Ukraine's presidential office, appears to show a group of men escorting Mr Fedorov out of a building and across a square. 

Ukraine's parliament claimed that Mr Fedorov was kidnapped by 10 armed men, who placed a plastic bag over his head. Russia has not commented on the fate of Mr Fedorov.

The clip, which has been shared widely by Ukrainian media, is believed to have been filmed in Melitopol's Victory Square in southeastern Ukraine. 

President Zelensky on Friday described Mr Fedorov's alleged abduction as a 'crime' against 'democracy' as he said the acts of Russian invaders would be treated as 'terrorism'.

'The capture of the mayor of Melitopol is therefore a crime, not only against a particular person, against a particular community, and not only against Ukraine. It is a crime against democracy itself... The acts of the Russian invaders will be regarded like those of Islamic State terrorists,' he said. 

Plumes of smoke billow from a building in the strategic port city of Mariupol which has endured 11 days of intense bombardment

Plumes of smoke billow from a building in the strategic port city of Mariupol which has endured 11 days of intense bombardment

Cars line the streets out of Kyiv as desperate residents try to flee the city which is bracing itself for an imminent onslaught from Russia

Cars line the streets out of Kyiv as desperate residents try to flee the city which is bracing itself for an imminent onslaught from Russia

The crisis in Mariupol deepened further as the death toll passed 1,500. Pictured: The aftermath of Russian artillery shelling on a residential area in Mariupol where a rocket hit a house

The crisis in Mariupol deepened further as the death toll passed 1,500. Pictured: The aftermath of Russian artillery shelling on a residential area in Mariupol where a rocket hit a house

Ukrainian officials claimed that Melitopol's mayor had been kidnapped after he 'refused to co-operate with the enemy'.

Following the alleged kidnapping of Mr Fedorov, there were reports of thousands of residents in Melitopol taking to the streets to protest.

Video footage, shared by Ukrainian officials, appeared to show crowds of defiant residents carrying Ukrainian flags as they gathered near an occupied administration building.

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Zelensky also accused Vladimir Putin's troops of 'moving to a new stage of terror' due to a lack of support for the invasion in Ukraine.

'This is obviously a sign of weakness of the invaders... They have moved to a new stage of terror in which they are trying to physically eliminate representatives of legitimate local Ukrainian authorities,' he added.

Zelensky hailed Mr Fedorov as a mayor who 'bravely defends Ukraine' and his community as he said the resistance of Ukrainians would not be changed by 'putting pressure on mayors or kidnapping mayors'. 

The prosecutor's office of the Luhansk People's Republic, a Moscow-backed rebel region in eastern Ukraine, said on its website there was a criminal case against Mr Fedorov.

The office accused him of 'terrorist activities' and of financing the nationalist militia Right Sector to 'commit terrorist crimes against Donbass civilians'. 

Ukraine's ministry of foreign affairs described the alleged abduction as a war crime, adding: 'We call on the international community to respond immediately to the abduction of Ivan Fedorov and other civilians, and to increase pressure on Russia to end its barbaric war against the Ukrainian people.'

Russian forces captured Melitopol, which has a population of 150,000, on February 26.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, Russian armoured vehicles are still slowly advancing on the city's northeast after being stalled for days, and a military airfield south of the city in Vasylkiv has been hit by missiles, destroying the runway, a fuel depot and an ammunition store.

The bulk of Russian ground forces are now around 15 miles from the centre but elements of the large column have dispersed in a bid to encircle the city, after pummelling the northwest suburbs including Irpin and Bucha. 

A column of thick black smoke was seen rising from the eastern suburbs of Kyiv this morning, but there is still no sign of ground forces moving into the outskirts. 

It comes as Russian attacks are continuing throughout the county today despite a supposed ceasefire to allow trapped citizens to escape in evacuation routes. 

Former deputy Secretary General of NATO, Rose Gottemoeller, says she believes current tactics betray a sign of weakness from Putin's forces, saying she is 'sceptical' of any success in the capital. 

She slammed their poor logistics saying she does not believe they have enough fuel supply for battle in the city which has faced constant shelling and fighting on the outskirts but is still bracing for an all-out assault.

Three Russian generals out of 20 have been killed so far in Putin's botched invasion, which has also seen the loss of 173 tanks, 12 aircraft and 345 troop carriers.

In an address to the nation today, Zelensky said Ukraine has inflicted Russia's heaviest losses in decades, claiming 31 battalion tactical groups have been rendered incapable of combat.

Putin's troops have also shelled a mosque housing 86 people including 34 children in the besieged city of Mariupol. It is not yet known if there are any casualties. 

Mykolaiv remains under heavy bombardment, while new artillery and air attacks have targeted Dnipro and Kropyvnytskyi.  

Ukraine intelligence officials also warned Russia is stockpiling the bodies of dead soldiers to stage a false flag attack at Chernobyl, releasing radioactive waste in a 'man-made catastrophe' that would amount to a 'terrorist attack'.

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