The russian forces started this Tuesday assault of the metallurgical plant from Azovstalin Mariupoldespite the fact that there are still dozens and even hundreds of civilians inside, as reported by ukrainian authorities. A head of the Azov Battalion, Sviatoslav Palamar, has confirmed in statements to the newspaper Pravda that Russian troops have begun the assault, information also shared by a police officer, Mijailo Vershinin, in a statement collected by Ukrinform.
“We are defending ourselves, we are fighting back,” Vershinin assured, given the confusing information about what was happening around facilities with a wide underground tunnel network which has served for weeks as a makeshift shelter for civilians and combatants since the Russian invasion began on February 24.
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The Mayor of Mariupol Vadim Boichenkohas confirmed this Tuesday that there are still 200 civilians trapped in the metallurgical plant. The Ukrainian authorities have accused Russia of preventing the transfer of civilians in the area despite the opening of a humanitarian corridor. Around 100,000 people would remain in all of Mariúpol, with hardly any basic services due to the siege exerted by Russian forces. Moscow aspires to complete its conquest with a view to establishing a runner between the region of donbas and the crimean peninsula.
Uncertainty also hangs over the whereabouts of 11 of the 14 buses with civilians evacuated from the factory over the weekend. The municipal authorities have reported that they do not know the whereabouts of eleven of the vehicles.
