Image of damaged Mariupol Red Cross building

A Red Cross warehouse in the besieged Ukrainian port city of Mariupol has been struck amid intense Russian shelling of the area.

Satellite pictures from Planet Labs PBC analyzed by The Associated Press on Thursday show clear damage to the warehouse's roof along the Kalmius River near its mouth on the Sea of Azov.

A red cross had been painted on the top of the warehouse.

At least one hole from suspected shelling could be seen in an image taken March 21.

Some four holes in the roof could be clearly visible in images taken Monday 28.

The red cross had been on the warehouse's roof from at least late August 2021, according to satellite images.

The International Committee of the Red Cross distributed all the supplies from inside the warehouse earlier in March and no staff have been at the site since March 15, the aid group said in a statement.

"We don't know how it's been used since," the Geneva-based Red Cross said.

"Despite the massive humanitarian needs in the city, we have been unable to bring in more supplies due to the intensity of the fighting and the absence of functional agreement between the parties to allow for safe passage of humanitarian assistance."

The organization added: "Under international humanitarian law, objects used for humanitarian relief operations must be respected and protected at all times. We are concerned that even a building with a red cross on it can be seriously damaged."

The Special Forces Unit "Azov," a Ukrainian National Guard unit fighting in Mariupol whose members include far-right activists, has accused Russian forces of firing on the building. Russia did not immediately acknowledge the allegation.

Mariupol, home to some 430,000 people before the war, has seen intense fighting for weeks amid Russia's war on Ukraine. Russian attacks have struck a maternity hospital, fire department locations and civilian homes.

Image: AP