The Ukrainian government announced on Saturday (23) that Russian forces had again bombed the Azovstal Steelworks in Mariupol, where some 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers and at least 1,000 civilians are resisting the occupation of the southern city.
The information was confirmed by Oleksiy Arestovych, adviser to the cabinet of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to the Ukrinform portal. “The unpleasant news is that the enemy is trying to completely suppress the resistance of the Mariupol defenders in the Azovstal region,” he said.
This week Moscow declared victory in Mariupol but failed to penetrate Azovstal, a complex believed to be one of the largest metallurgical plants in Europe. On this occasion, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered no attacks there to ensure the safety of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians.
However, according to Arestovych, the Russian army “resumed airstrikes on the territory of the plant, on the defensive lines of our troops and tried to conduct offensive operations.” Moscow has not yet commented.
At a press conference in Washington, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal declared that the situation in Mariupol, under constant and incessant Russian shelling, was “the worst humanitarian catastrophe since the Russian invasion”.
“We will see the terrible atrocities of the Russians when the city is liberated,” he added, noting that “Moscow’s troops are destroying everything”.
It is estimated that at least 100,000 residents are still blocked in the port city. In addition, Kyiv estimates that the death toll in Mariupol is at least 20,000.
On Saturday, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Ukraine would make another attempt to evacuate civilians from Mariupol. “Today we try again to evacuate women, children and the elderly,” he said on his Facebook account, adding that civilians had started gathering near a mall in the city.
A video released by Ukrainska Pravda shows women, girls and boys, and babies in bunkers at the Azovstal steel mill. The shot shows the soldiers going into the basement with large bags and handing out what could be candy.