Mariupol - the besieged city of Ukraine

"More than 160 private cars have managed to leave Mariupol on the road to Berdyansk,"
representatives of the Mariupol city council have recently declared.

This was finally a successful evacuation since the Russian military brought its siege over the city, as civilians have so far failed to leave the area.

The official repeated attempts to open humanitarian corridors were also unsuccessful, due to the constant attack of the Russian army over crowded residential areas.

Mariupol is now facing the third week of blockades and heavy shelling. Internet and phone networks are currently out of use, as the people remaining in the city confront with severe water, gas, power, food and medicine shortages.

More than 2.500 people died in Mariupol since February 24th, the date that marks the beginning of the invasion. The figures are not yet confirmed by international organisations.

The International Committee of the Red Cross stated on the situation in the city:

"Dead bodies, of civilians and combatants, remain trapped under the rubble or lying in the open where they fell. Life-changing injuries and chronic, debilitating conditions cannot be treated. The human suffering is simply immense."

A pregnant woman and her child were killed in an airstrike over a maternity hospital. Another 3 also lost their lives during the attack and 17 were injured. Due to the raising number of victims, authorities are forced to use mass graves for burying the deceased.

The city of Mariupol has been under constant attack since the beginning of the hostilities due to its strategic location between territories occupied by the pro-Russian separatists, very close to Russia's borders.

Mariupol in home to 400.000 Ukrainians.

 

Source: dw.com