Pescimanne, Ukraine, May 1 (Reuters) – Civilians were evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant bunkers in Mariupol on Sunday as the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) facilitated the testing of the devastating siege of the Russia-Ukraine war. .
The siege of Mariupol, in which Russian forces have been attacking the port city for nearly two months, has turned into a ruined land, with an unknown death toll and thousands of people trying to survive without water, sanitation or food.
The city is under Russian control, but some militants and civilians remain underground in the Azovstal work – a vast Soviet-era plant established under Joseph Stalin and designed with bunkers and tunnels to withstand the onslaught.
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After a Reuters photographer spotted dozens of citizens arriving at a makeshift shelter on Sunday, the United Nations confirmed it was the safest way to evacuate people from the steel work that has been going on since Saturday.
“The UN ensures that safe road operations are underway at the Azovstal steel plant in collaboration with the ICRC and the parties to the conflict,” said UN spokesman Saviano Abrew.
“At this stage, we will not share further details as the activities are ongoing and may endanger the safety of the public and the convoy,” he said.
A Reuters photographer saw civilians coming to the Russian-backed village of Pesimene in the Donetsk region, 30 km (20 miles) east of Mariupol, where they received cooling and care after weeks of suffering.
Those evicted from the plant included small children – where people were frightened underground, lurking under blankets in the plant’s bunkers and tunnels, and the shelling shattered their city.
Outside the blue tents, two children were thinking. A woman emotionally clasped her hands to her face. A young woman reached out to hit the cat.
Civilians seen by Reuters were evacuated in a convoy of vehicles with Russian troops and UN logos.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zhelensky in Kiev on Thursday that serious discussions were underway to oust Azovstol.
A UN spokesman said it could not immediately comment. Mariupolin’s mayor’s aide announced a period of calm, with official reports of evictions pending.
Pope Francis described Sunday’s war in Ukraine as a “terrible setback for humanity,” making him “hurt and weep.” read more
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the United States used Ukraine to threaten Russia with the need for “special military action” and that Moscow should protect Russian-speakers against persecution.
He says Ukraine and Russia are basically the same country. Ukraine says it is fighting Russia’s imperialist land grab, and that Putin’s claims of genocide are nonsense.
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Report by Reuters; Editing by Guy Balkanbridge and Angus Maxwan
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