Hours of decision in Mariupol: An ultimatum from the Russian army to the remaining Ukrainian fighters in the strategically important port city expired on Sunday. The fall of Mariupol could mean the end of ceasefire negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has threatened to end talks if Ukrainian militants are killed in Mariupol.
Russia had given Ukrainian fighters who remain in Mariupol until Sunday afternoon to lay down their arms. If the ultimatum was ignored, Moscow threatened them with death. “Their only chance of saving their lives is to voluntarily lay down their arms and surrender,” Russia’s defense ministry said on Saturday. Apparently, after the expiry of the ultimatum, the Ukrainian militants were still in the Mariupol steel plant.
“still there”
“No, the city did not fall,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal told ABC on Sunday. “Our armed forces, our soldiers are still there. You will fight to the end. While I speak to you, they are still in Mariupol.’ The last defenders of the strategically important port city “will fight to the end,” Schmyhal said.
Should Russia capture Mariupol, it would be the first major conquest since the war began on February 24. Russia says its troops are largely in control of the city.
No way to escape
Planned escape routes remained closed on Sunday: Vereshchuk explained that it has not been possible to reach an agreement with the Russian “occupiers” on a ceasefire for the area. More than 50 people were killed in a deadly attack on Ukrainian refugees at Kramatorsk train station in early April, according to Ukrainian sources.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk called on Russia to open escape corridors for civilians from Mariupol. A “humanitarian corridor” should be created especially for women and children, she wrote in the Messenger service Telegram.
Citizens threatened by hunger
Mariupol has been under siege since the first days after the Russian invasion on February 24. The city in the southeast, which once had more than 400,000 inhabitants, has been largely destroyed and the humanitarian situation is catastrophic. More than 100,000 citizens in the city are at risk of starvation, according to the World Food Program.
“Won’t Give Up Our Territory”
Zelenskyj described the situation in Mariupol in a video message as “inhumane”. Russia is “deliberately trying to destroy everyone who is there”. “We will not give up our territory,” he said in an interview with CNN on Sunday. Zelenskyy appealed to the West to “provide his country immediately with all necessary heavy weapons”.
Do you want to announce the victory in Donbass
Since the withdrawal of Russian forces from the greater Kiev area, fighting has increasingly shifted to southern and eastern Ukraine. Experts assume that Russia will announce the victory in the Ukrainian Donbass on the symbolically hugely important 9 May.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
