A first group of “approximately 100” civilians has been rescued from a Mariupol steelworks, where thousands of people have been trapped underground in appalling conditions.
President Zelenskyy tweeted that the group was heading to a “controlled area” and would arrive in the city of Zaporizhzhia on Monday.
The “safe passage operation,” according to a UN official, began on April 29 and is being coordinated with the Red Cross, Russia, and Ukraine.
The Azovstal steelworks, which contains a network of tunnels and bunkers, is the final defensive position in the southern city, with Ukrainian forces continuing to defend it.
Ukraine has not stated the number of soldiers stationed there, but Russia put it to be around 2,000. They’ve been taking refuge with about 1,000 people.
On Sunday, a convoy of UN and Russian military vehicles took more than 50 people to tented accommodation in the village of Bezimenne, about 18 miles (30km) east of Mariupol, according to Reuters.
If you would like to contact us send an email at: [email protected]