Ukrainian soldiers in Mariupol ignore the demand for surrender and continue to defend the city / Article

Ukrainian soldiers in Mariupol ignore the demand for surrender and continue to defend the city

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The Ukrainian Army General Staff reported on Sunday that Russian troops had continued to attack Mariupol and attacked the city’s port area. Russia has offered Mariupol’s defenders to lay down their arms on Sunday and leave, but there are no reports that Ukrainian forces have seized the opportunity and surrendered. It is not clear exactly how many defenders are in the city. The Russian side has said that at least 4,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died in Mariupol, but Ukraine says that up to 3,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died in the whole war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Saturday that if Russian forces destroyed the defenders of the besieged Mariupol, it would put an end to Kiev’s talks with Moscow.

Russia’s defense ministry has threatened to disband soldiers who are still defending Mariupol and refusing to lay down their arms. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the ultimatum, saying the removal of Ukrainian troops in Mariupol would put an end to any peace talks: “The situation in Mariupol is still as serious as possible. It is simply inhumane. The Russian Federation has acted deliberately and continues to destroy cities. I am deliberately trying to destroy everyone in Mariupol, and I want to be heard clearly now.

Since the blockade of Mariupol began, there has not been a single day when we have not sought a military or diplomatic solution to save people.

However, finding this solution is extremely difficult. There is no 100% real solution yet. This applies both to military options and to the negotiation process. “

It is estimated that there are still about 100,000 people in Mariupol, but Russian troops are preventing them from evacuating. Even today, humanitarian corridors have not been opened in Ukraine for the evacuation of people from settlements surrounded or occupied by Russian troops, said Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk. She revealed that no ceasefire had been reached with the occupiers to carry out the evacuation. Vereshchuk noted that Ukraine continues to demand the opening of a humanitarian corridor for the evacuation of civilians, especially women and children, from Mariupol. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly warned of the humanitarian crisis in Mariupol.

CONTEXT:

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered to start Russian troops invade Ukraine. Putin claimed that NATO was going to use Ukraine as a bridgehead for aggression against Russia, although there was no evidence of these allegations. Ukraine believes that Putin’s real goal is to destroy Ukraine’s statehood and bring the territory under Moscow’s control.

Russia hoped to occupy Kiev and other major Ukrainian cities within a few days, but the Ukrainian armed forces showed fierce resistance to the occupiers and Russia has failed to meet its targets. Russian occupation forces continue to fire on Ukrainian cities, causing increasing civilian casualties.

In early April, the international community was shocked by news from the Kiev region of the city of Bucca, where Russian troops brutally retaliated against the civilian population. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described it as a war crime and genocide against the Ukrainian people.

About 5 million refugees have fled Ukraine since the start of the war.

Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has provoked a general one condemnation of the international communityagainst Russia is new sanctions have been introduced. Many Western companies have decided to leave the Russian market.

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