All women, children and older people have been rescued from the besieged Azovstal steel plant, says Iryna Vereshchuk, Ukraine’s vice PM.
“President’s order has been fulfilled, all women, children and older people were evacuated from the Azovstal area today. This part of Mariupol humanitarian operation is complete,” she said.
Aleksandr Khodakovsky, commander of the so-called ‘DPR Vostok Battalion’ claimed that a group of Ukrainian soldiers had walked out of the Azovstal steel plant carrying white flags earlier today. The Azov Regiment officials explained that white flags were common practice when rescuing civilians. They also reported that the Russian army killed three Ukrainian soldiers during the evacuation.
Ukrayinska Pravda posted a video yesterday with WW2 veterans from Ukraine addressing Vladimir Putin and asking him to release all people from the steelworks including the defending troops.
“Hitler’s logic was simple, he wanted to wipe out all ethnicities. We don’t understand what your country attacked ours for. We asked for nothing and we did not force our customs on your folk,” said Aleksandra Romanchikova, 98.
“We guarded [our country] from a horrible monster in ‘41-45. Don’t become the same monster, try being a human. Let all people go in the name of our common victory, we were all together back then,” she added.
Nearly 500 people were evacuated from the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol and the surrounding areas, UN Secretary General António Guterres said on his Twitter recently.
The Russian officials announced on 4 May that Russia would open civilian escape corridors from the steelworks. The corridors were announced to be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on 5, 6 and 7 May.
The ‘DPR’ and ‘LNR’ militias promised to hold fire and allow escaping civilians to flee towards Russia or Ukraine, optionally.
The Azovstal steel plant remains Ukraine’s only defencive position in the besieged Mariupol. The Azov Regiment and civilians have been hiding there for 70 days.