Soldiers in the area of the Azovstal steel plant are requesting evacuations. In addition to the soldiers, there are 1,000 to 2,000 civilians in the area.
21.4. 10:51 • Updated April 21st. 17:02
Attempts are still being made to evacuate civilians from the Russian siege of Mariupol.
Ukrainian soldiers besieged in the Azovstal steel plant area are resisting, but time is running out.
In a video message sent by the Commander of the 36th Marines of the Ukrainian Navy Serhii Volyna said the troops may no longer last more than hours or days at most.
Volyna called on the world for help in evacuating civilians and wounded soldiers and their families.
– This is our appeal to the world. This may be our last post. The quantitative superiority of the enemy is 10-1.
There are apparently some thousands of Ukrainian soldiers in the area of the 11-square-kilometer steel plant, more than 500 of whom have been wounded, according to Volona. According to various sources, there are 1,000 to 2,000 civilians in the area.
– We appeal to world leaders for help. We ask that they help with the evacuation, Volyna said in a video message.
The authenticity of the video could not be verified.
There are about 100,000 civilians in Mariupol
About 100,000 civilians are trapped in Mariupol. Before the Russian invasion, the city had a population of about 450,000.
There has long been a shortage of food, water and medicine in Mariupol. The conditions are very miserable.
Attempts are being made to evacuate civilians from the city even today. In earlier days, attempts have failed as fighting has continued.
Yesterday, the aim was to get 90 buses evacuated, which would have evacuated some 6,000 civilians. Due to firing, this failed.
According to the authorities, only four evacuation buses left Mariupol yesterday.
Mariupol was besieged shortly after the Russian invasion. It would be the largest city that Russia has managed to conquer in Ukraine.
Mariupol is an important destination for Russia, because by taking over the city, Russia would gain land access to the Crimean peninsula. At the same time, it would gain control of the Azov Sea route.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky adviser Myhailo Podoljak wrote on Twitter that evening that Ukraine is ready to negotiate the rescue of Mariupol civilians “unconditionally.”