101 civilians evacuated from the Mariupol steelworks, UN says

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has announced that the civilians from the Azovstal steel plant have arrived in Zaporizhzhia.

“I am pleased and relieved to confirm that 101 civilians have successfully been evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol and other areas in a safe passage operation,” said Osnat Lubrani, the UN Resident Coordinator in Ukraine.

“Thanks to the operation, 101 women, men, children, and older persons could finally leave the bunkers below the Azovstal steelworks and see the daylight after two months. Another 58 people joined us in Manhush, a town on the outskirts of Mariupol. We have accompanied 127 people today to Zaporizhzhia, about 230 kilometres north-west of Mariupol, where they are receiving initial humanitarian assistance, including health and psychological care. Some evacuees decided not to proceed towards Zaporizhzhia with the convoy,” she added.

The operation started on Friday 29 April and was agreed with the parties to the conflict, following engagements by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres during his recent visits to Moscow and Kyiv.

The Russian army alongside the DPR militia started the assault of the Azovstal steelworks earlier today. The Russian Defence Ministry had accused the Ukrainian army of ceasefire violation. The ministry claims to have evacuated 126 civilians from the steelworks in recent days. Vadym Boychenko, the city’s mayor, believes that more than 200 civilians are still in the area.

The Azov regiment of the Ukrainian army also stated that two women were killed in yesterday’s shelling of the steelworks.

Vladimir Putin commanded his army to cancel the offensive of the Azovstal steel plant deeming it ‘impractical’ on 21 April.