Latest developments… Mariupol city under siege and an open-air hell
New developments in the Black Sea port city of Mariupol, one of the important regions of Ukraine, which has been under siege and constant bombardment during the Russian military operation against Ukraine.
Where is this city?
The city is located in the south-eastern part of Ukraine on the Sea of Azov, and if it is controlled it will serve as a link between the Russian forces in the pro-Russian Donetsk People’s Republic, which unilaterally seceded from Ukraine, and the Russian troops stationed in Crimea, with a population of about 410,000.
The city is one of the largest industrial cities in Ukraine, and contains the main port of Ukraine, which is largely responsible for shipping Ukrainian products abroad.
The situation in the Ukrainian city
On the details of the situation in the city, the National Center for the Russian Defense Administration announced that Ukrainian troops and foreign mercenaries will be allowed to leave Mariupol without weapons tomorrow, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Russia Today reported.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, on Monday, its air force struck a Ukrainian army facility in the Rivne region with cruise missiles.
“High-precision air-launched cruise missiles hit a training center for foreign mercenaries and Ukrainian nationalist formations”, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.
Is Mariupol under siege?
On the other hand, in Mariupol, a Ukrainian parliamentarian accused Russia of trying to starve the besieged port city of Mariupol into submission, after Ukraine rejected an offer from Russia to provide a safe passage for fighters in Mariupol to leave the city.
Parliamentarian Dimitro Goren was quoted by foreign newspapers as saying: Mariupol will not give up, he said. The Russians are not opening humanitarian corridors, and are not allowing humanitarian convoys into the city.
Under the Russian proposal, civilians are allowed to leave if the city’s defenders lay down arms, but Ukraine refused, saying: Handing over the strategic port city is off the table.
