
The Ukrainian government reports that the Russians are in control of large portions of the besieged Black Sea city of Mariupol.
Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko, Mariupol's mayor, told CNN on Monday that not everything is within his control. Today, the city is in the hands of the occupiers. Fewer than half of the residents have remained, he added.
Following a month of heavy bombardment and a week-long street battle, the city appears to have been lost. Russians are likely to consider Mariupol a strategically important city since capturing it would allow them to connect their forces in the Crimean Peninsula with those in the separatist Donbass region.
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported that the period of time for civilians still in the city is running out, dismissing "misinformation" about its role in Ukraine. As the charity said, "Time is running out for civilians who have gone weeks with no humanitarian aid in Mariupol and other frontline areas."
He alleged that Russian forces are destroying shelters with civilians inside, in an address to the Danish Parliament on Tuesday. The Ukrainian president referred to the siege of Mariupol as a "crime against humanity."
“According to our estimates, about 160,000 people are in the besieged city of Mariupol today, where it is impossible to live because there is no water, no electricity, no heat, no connection,” he continued. “And it’s really scary.”
29 March 2022
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