Ukrainian soldiers are stuck
Kyiv announces evacuation corridor from Mariupol
4/20/2022, 12:02 p.m
Ukraine hopes to bring more civilians out of trapped Mariupol. According to sources in Kyiv, there should still be a humanitarian corridor today. What will happen to the remaining soldiers is uncertain. Their commander had previously made a desperate appeal to international politics.
According to Ukrainian sources, Kyiv and Moscow have negotiated an escape corridor for civilians in the embattled port city of Mariupol. “For the time being, we have managed to agree on a humanitarian corridor for women, children and the elderly,” Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk told the Telegram news channel.
From 2:00 p.m. local time (1:00 p.m. CEST) they could get out. After that, a convoy of vehicles should drive via Berdyansk to Zaporizhia, about 200 kilometers away. The day before, the Russian army leadership had once again promised a ceasefire and the free withdrawal of civilians staying at the Azovstal steel plant held by Ukrainian fighters. In addition, the remaining Ukrainian soldiers were asked to surrender.
The commander of the marines trapped in the steelworks, Serhiy Wolyna, had previously requested evacuation to a third country in a video message to the world. In a dramatic appeal he said, “The enemy outnumbers us 10 to 1.” The one-minute video message posted on Facebook continued: “We call on all world leaders to help us.”
Russia has advantages in the air, artillery, ground forces, equipment and tanks, Volyna said. The Ukrainian side is defending only one object, the Azovstal Steel Works, where there are civilians in addition to the military. “This is our appeal to the world,” said Wolyna. “This could be the last appeal of our lives.” Volyna said to the CNN TV channel, an evacuation could be done by ship or helicopter. An international humanitarian mission is also a possibility.
The south-eastern Ukrainian port of Mariupol was completely surrounded by Russian troops on March 1, shortly after the start of the Russian war of aggression. The city and the port are largely considered to have been destroyed. Most recently, according to Russian information, around 2,500 Ukrainian fighters and 400 foreign mercenaries were holed up in the steelworks. According to Ukrainian reports, around 1,000 civilians are said to have sought protection there. Russia has repeatedly called on Ukrainian troops to surrender.