The plan to evacuate civilians from Mariupol in Ukraine was foiled again. The new attempt was supposed to take place today, at the start of the fire, but 200 residents who went to the point marked for boarding were “dispersed” by the Russian military. Today the war between the countries reaches the 59th day.
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk previously announced plans for Mariupol that focus on moving women, children and the elderly out of the city.
The deputy prime minister also warned civilians to be vigilant and not to follow “deception or provocation” from the Russian military, which could open a “parallel corridor” and lead residents into Russiancontrolled areas.
“Our runners will only take place on the following route towards Zaporizhzhia: Manhush, Berdiansk, Tokmak, Orihiv,” Vereshchuk said.
Saturday began with bombings in eastern and southern Ukraine. After nearly two months of conflict, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that the country is only the first step in Russia’s expansion into Eastern Europe.
Civilian deaths in eastern Ukraine
The head of the Luhansk regional military administration, Serhiy Hayday, accused Russian forces of bombing civilians in Popasna, killing two people.
“In addition to street fighting, the Russian army is constantly bombing skyscrapers and private homes,” he told CNN International.
Hayday added that residents withstood five Russian attacks, but not all survived.
“At night, [um] The Popasna resident, 66, died and his wife was injured. Also, one other person died as a result of the bombing,” Hayday added.
Local authorities reported that around 30 people had been evacuated from the nearby city of Severodonetsk, including 15 bedridden patients.
Settlements in Luhansk are under Russian aim amid a broad military effort to capture and hold more territory in the eastern Donbass region.
bombing raids in the south
The city of Mykolaiv, located in southern Ukraine, was attacked overnight, according to Vitaliy Kim, head of the Mykolaiv military administration. To protect the lives of civilians, a curfew was announced before Easter which is celebrated in Ukraine according to the Orthodox Church calendar.
Civilians have been told that attacks from Russia could take place during the holiday and urged citizens of some regions to stay home over the holiday.
Intense fighting has erupted in the region between Mykolaiv and Kherson in the southeast over the past three weeks as Ukrainian forces launched counterattacks.