Russia and Ukraine battle for last holdout of Mariupol fighters
russian troops already have control of the port city of Mariupolbut there is one last redoubt of fighters in the metallurgical plant from Azovstal. The place chosen by the resistance is not trivial: the installation is a soviet relic which only ceased operations during the Nazi invasion of Ukraine in World War II. for weeks, Ukraine Y Russia unsuccessfully negotiated Stop the fire to evacuate the 100,000 civilians still in the besieged port town.
Finally, this Saturday a humanitarian corridor which has allowed the release, on this first day, of between 20 and 46 people. In addition, this Sunday the city council has announced a new evacuation attempt starting at 3:00 p.m., peninsular time.
On evacuation this Sunday, the Russian authorities affirm that he has “liberated” 80 civiliansincluding women and children, who he says are in Bezimenne, in the self-proclaimed republic of Donetsk, where they have received “accommodation, food and necessary medical assistance.”
For his part, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that a first group of 100 civilians has already been evacuated from the Azovstal steelworks, and that they are “on their way” to the Ukrainian-controlled area. In addition, the president added that this Monday he will meet with them in Zaporizhia, in the south of the country.
The government of Zelenski reported this Saturday night that a group of between 20 and 25 civilians, including women and children, had been evacuated. Hours earlier, the Azov battalion had announced that some 20 people were on their way to safety. Zaporizhiawhile the separatist militias from Donestk they raised the number of evacuees to 28. This Sunday, the Government of Ukraine has denounced that this group is not safe and sound, but in the middle of the front.
On the other hand the Kremlin He assured first thing in the morning that this Saturday he allowed the escape of 46 people. In the steelworks they entrench a thousand people, who have been living without food or basic supplies for weeks. In addition, 600 people are wounds, local authorities have indicated.
Russia speaks of “truce”
“On Saturday, April 30, as a result of the establishment of a truce and the opening of a humanitarian corridor, two groups of civilians left the residential buildings adjacent to the territory of the Azovstal metallurgical plant,” the statement said. Ministry of Defence russian in your account Telegram.
Specifically, the military department has specified that in the afternoon it allowed 25 residents of the town to leave and that, after nightfall, a second group of 21 people left, who were taken to bezimenne. “All civilians were provided with accommodation, food and necessary medical assistance,” the Russian ministry said.
Regarding the group of 40 people who have been allowed to leave Mariupol today, sources from the Russian agency TASS close to the exit operation have said: “The people, including 14 women and eight children, were taken out in three buses” .
Video as proof
Related news
Russia published a video recorded at night in which at least two buses can be seen, one of which has the letter “Z”, a symbol of the Russian military campaign. There is also a car with the logo of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and another with the registration of the UN.
The mayor of the city, Vadim Boichenkosays that at least 20,000 people have died during the Russian offensive against the city, and that another 40,000 have been forcibly deported, according to comments collected by the Ukrainian channel 24TV.