The besieged southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol has been “turned to dust” by Russian forces and is on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe, its mayor said today.
Mayor Vadym Boichenko said the situation in Mariupol, where about 160,000 civilians are trapped without heat or electricity, is so bad that the port city has to be completely evacuated.
Boichenko said 26 buses were waiting to evacuate civilians who had been under constant bombardment from Russian forces for days, but Vladimir Putin’s men had not agreed to allow them safe passage.
The 160,000 civilians trapped in the city are surrounded by Russian forces, with supplies of food, water and medicines constantly dwindling.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said Russian troops are “turning the city to dust” and described the situation in Mariupol as “catastrophic” with people struggling to survive.
The besieged southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol has been “turned to dust” by Russian forces and is on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe, its mayor said today
Local resident Valentina Demura, 70, stands next to the building housing her apartment destroyed during the Ukraine-Russia conflict in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol on Sunday
Mayor Vadym Boichenko said the situation in Mariupol, where about 160,000 civilians are trapped without electricity, is so bad that the port city has to be completely evacuated
Local resident Inga Serbina, 45, holds her passport before leaving the city during the conflict between Ukraine and Russia on Sunday in the besieged southern port of Mariupol
Mayor Boichenko said: “The situation in the city remains difficult. The people are beyond the limit of humanitarian catastrophe. We must evacuate Mariupol completely.”
Speaking about the Russian troops not agreeing to allow civilians safe passage from Mariupol, the mayor said: “Russian Federation is playing with us.
‘We are in the hands of the invaders.’
Russia said last week it had evacuated several hundred thousand people from the war zone, but Ukraine said up to 15,000 civilians had been deported to Russia from the left bank area of Mariupol.
Mariupol is widely seen as a strategic prize for the Russian invaders to bridge the gap between Crimea, annexed by Moscow in 2014, and two separatist enclaves in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry tweeted: “As Mariupol is besieged and bombed, people struggle to survive. The humanitarian situation in the city is catastrophic.
“Russian forces are turning the city to dust.”
The 160,000 civilians trapped in the city are surrounded by Russian forces, with supplies of food, water and medicines constantly dwindling. Pictured: A destroyed tank in Mariupol
Wrecked cars are seen in front of a damaged apartment building in Mariupol on Sunday
Ukraine announced on Monday it would not attempt any plans to create safe corridors anywhere in the country, making clear it feared Russian attacks.
“Our secret service has reported possible ‘provocations’ by the occupiers on the humanitarian corridor routes. So, for reasons of public security, we are not opening humanitarian corridors today,” Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.
France, Greece and Turkey hope to launch a mass evacuation of civilians within days, according to French President Emmanuel Macron, who has sought a deal with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Fighting around Mariupol continues on Monday as Russian forces attempt to seize the Sea of Azov port, which is linked to the Black Sea.
But Russian troops have made no significant progress in Ukraine over the past 24 hours amid ongoing supply problems and aggressive resistance from Ukrainian fighters, British defense officials said.
Poor morale and a lack of momentum have compounded the problems facing Russia’s armed forces, Britain’s MoD said in its recent intelligence briefing.
Earlier, the ministry said that Russia is maintaining a blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea coast and disrupting sea trade with the country. The Russian Navy is also launching “sporadic” missile attacks on targets in Ukraine, the ministry said.
An armored vehicle of pro-Russian troops with the “Z” symbol on the front drives on a road near Mariupol on Sunday
Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine will resume face-to-face peace talks on Monday amid warnings that the situation in Mariupol is “catastrophic”.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyi welcomed the resumption of talks across the table, saying they must bring peace “immediately” and signaling a willingness to compromise on the most sensitive issues.
The two sides have not met in person for weeks but will hold three-day talks in Istanbul starting Monday, according to David Arakhamia, a Ukrainian negotiator, lawmaker and Zelensky ally.
Several rounds of talks have failed to end the war triggered by the Russian invasion, which is now in its second month.
Some 20,000 people have been killed, according to Zelensky, 10 million have fled their homes, and despite backlash from the Russian military, several cities are still being bombed with devastation.