Still 160,000 People Stuck in Mariupol, Mayor Wants Evacuation

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About 160,000 people are still trapped in Mariupol, the mayor said. According to him, the city must be evacuated entirely because of a humanitarian disaster. Mariupol is one of the cities hardest hit during the war that started more than a month ago.

Residents can only leave via humanitarian corridors, for which Ukraine has to make new agreements with Russia. On Monday, flight routes will not be opened anywhere in Ukraine, according to Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk. That’s because intelligence says there may be Russian “provocations” along the routes.

Russian troops have surrounded Mariupol for weeks. The southern port city has no water supply, electricity and heating. There is also a shortage of food and medicines. Thousands of residents have moved to safer parts of Ukraine via humanitarian corridors in recent weeks. Before the war, the city had more than 430,000 inhabitants.

Heavy fighting near Mariupol continues as Russian soldiers attempt to take the city. The British Ministry of Defense reported Monday morning that Russian troops had succeeded in taking more territory in the Mariupol area.