David Arakhamia, Ukrainian chief negotiator at the talks with Russia, said on his Telegram channel that over 100 people had been evacuated from the Azovstal plant with the aid of the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
“Now I can say that the partial evacuation of civilians from Azovstal has been successful. More than 100 Ukrainians, including children, women and the elderly, are finally safe. What lies ahead for us is a lot more work and people to be saved,” he wrote.
Saviano Abreu, a spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, confirmed to Reuters that evacuation of civilians from the plant’s territory has begun. “The operation began on April 29 and is being coordinated with the International Committee of the Red Cross, Russia and Ukraine,” Abreu said. He noted that no further details can be released so far to ensure the safety of the evacuees.
The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed that 80 people had been evacuated. “All civilians released from the Azovstal territory were evacuated to Bezymennoye, where they were provided with beds, food and medical aid,” the ministry said.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the first group of evacuees will be sent to territories under the control of Ukraine.
Mariupol is a major port city in the south of Ukraine’s Donetsk Region, on the northern shore of the Sea of Azov. It was surrounded by Russian forces in the first days of the war. The city is under a de facto blockade. Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko said that at least 10,000 civilians could have been killed in the blockade.
On April 21, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told Russian President Vladimir Putin that Russian forces had captured Mariupol. Putin said that it would be “inadvisable” to storm the Azovstal steel works plant, ordering to cancel the assault.
On April 27 and 28, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres visited Moscow and Kyiv to discuss the organisation of a safety corridor for the civilians remaining at the plant. On Saturday evening, the deputy commander of Ukraine’s Azov Regiment said that evacuation had begun.
