Russia on Tuesday called on the entire Ukrainian army to “lay down their arms” and the last defenders of Mariupol to end their “pointless resistance”. A call that comes as Moscow appears to have launched its major offensive against eastern Ukraine.
The Russian Defense Ministry is urging the last Ukrainian fighters present in Mariupol to surrender their weapons. Vladimir Putin’s men are about to take the city that has been under siege for more than a month and a half.
“Don’t tempt fate, make the only right decision to stop military operations and lay down your arms,” the Russian Defense Ministry warned in a press release.
“We address all soldiers of the Ukrainian army and foreign mercenaries: due to the cynicism of the Kiev authorities, an unenviable fate awaits you,” he added.
The Russian army also promised to “save lives” to Ukrainian fighters from Mariupol (southeast) still occupying the Azovstal industrial complex if they surrendered on Tuesday.
Proposed armistice
It proposes a ceasefire at 12:00 Tuesday (9:00 GMT), so that between 14:00 (11:00 GMT) and 16:00 Moscow time (13:00 GMT) all Ukrainian armed units without exception and foreign mercenaries (from Azovstal) come out with weapons or ammunition”.
“We call on the Kiev authorities to show common sense and order the fighters to stop their senseless resistance,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.
Since the siege of the strategic port began in early March, Moscow has repeatedly called on Ukrainian forces to lay down their arms.
More than a thousand Ukrainian soldiers went to Mariupol last week, but several hundred others are still holed up in the huge Azovstal factory, where they are leading a fierce resistance, according to pro-Russian separatists.