Russia called on Ukrainian forces to lay down their arms in the eastern port city of Mariupol, where Moscow says a "humanitarian disaster" is unfolding.
"Put down your arms. A terrible humanitarian disaster is taking place. All those who drop their weapons are guaranteed to leave Mariupol safely," Col. Mikhail Mizintsev, head of the Russian Center for Defense Control, told. at a press conference announced by the Russian Defense Ministry on March 20.
According to Reuters news agency, the port city of Mariupol has suffered the heaviest shelling since Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24. Of Mariupol's 400,000 residents, many are still trapped without food, water and electricity.
Mizintsev announced that humanitarian corridors for civilians leaving Mariupol will open in the east and west directions at 10:00 am on March 21, Moscow time.
Mizintsev also said that by 5 am on March 21, Ukrainian forces must respond to Russia's request for humanitarian corridors and to lay down arms in Mariupol.
Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other for failing to open humanitarian corridors in recent weeks.
Mr. Mizintsev accused Ukrainian nationalists and "neo-fascists" of causing the killings in Mariupol. Meanwhile, Ukraine vowed to continue fighting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on March 19 that the siege of Mariupol was "a horror that will be recorded for centuries to come".
Mizintsev said Russia did not use heavy weapons in Mariupol. He confirmed that Russia had evacuated 59,304 people from the city, but 130,000 civilians were still being held "hostages". He also said 330,686 people have been evacuated from Ukraine by Russia since the military operation began.
Mariupol city council announced on Telegram late on March 19 that several thousand city residents were sent back to Russia in the past week, despite their wishes.
"Over the past week, several thousand residents of Mariupol have been brought to Russian territory. Russia has brought people from Livoberezhny and from shelter in the building of the sports club, where more than 1,000 people (mostly women) are located. and children) are sheltering from repeated bombings," the Mariupol city council said in a statement.
According to the Russian side, the fighting situation in Mariupol, a city bordering the Sea of Azov is still fierce. Moscow has tightened the siege around this strategic city. If it gains control of Mariupol and its surrounding areas, Russia will gain control of the Sea of Azov region. From the Sea of Azov, Russia could open the way down to the Black Sea, leading to a scenario where it could control Ukraine's coastline.
In addition, if it controls Mariupol, Russia may create a land corridor in Ukraine, connecting the breakaway territories in Eastern Ukraine and the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. Ukraine's Defense Ministry on March 18 confirmed that Ukrainian forces have "temporarily" lost access to the Sea of Azov due to the military operation of the Russian armed forces.
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