Ukraine accuses Russia of deporting thousands of civilians from Marieopol. On satellite images of the eastern Ukrainian town of Bezimenne, which the BBC brought on Sunday evening, can be seen tents and a long line of cars. Bezimenne is located in Donetsk, the self-proclaimed pro-Russian People’s Republic that Russia considers independent. Ukrainian authorities say a total of 40,000 civilians have been moved from Mariupol without consulting Kiev.
The Ukrainian authorities speak of ‘deportations’. One of the Ukrainian refugees tells the British broadcaster that she was “taken by force”. It is estimated that about 5,000 Ukrainians are housed in the tent camp in Donetsk, according to the BBC. According to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about two thousand children have been ‘deported’ from the city. It is unknown where they are now. Mariupol is now completely surrounded by Russian forces, Zelensky said, blocking all roads to and from the city.
The port city of Mariupol has been under heavy fire from Russian forces for days. Some 140,000 residents have fled the city, according to local authorities, but 170,000 people are still living there. Many hide in air raid shelters, where the supply of food, water and medicines is difficult. The figures quoted are for NRC not verifiable.
This article is also part of our live blog: Ukraine accuses Russia of deporting citizens from Mariupol