On April 28, Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin, said that people are free to leave the Mariupol Azovstal plant and militants must lay down their arms. He made this comment in response to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s remark that Kyiv is ready for immediate negotiations on the evacuation of people from Azovstal.
“The president made it quite clear: civilians can exit and go anywhere they please. Militants must lay down their arms and exit as well. Their lives will be preserved. All injured and sick will be provided with medical aid,” Peskov said. “What’s there to negotiate about in this case?”
On Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres held negotiations with Putin in Moscow. During the open part of the meeting, the Russian president stated that all civilians, if they are present at Azovstal, are free to exit the plan, and Ukrainian servicemen must let them go.
Putin also stated that those Ukrainian servicemen who already laid down their weapons are held in appropriate conditions and receive medical aid, if necessary.
He stated that Russia is ready to provide the UN and the International Red Cross with access to these prisoners of war.
Today President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office said “An operation is planned today to get civilians out of the plant,” without giving any details on how this operation would proceed.
Mariupol authorities are sounding the alarm about unsanitary conditions in the ravaged port city that they say pose a “deadly danger” to its remaining residents.
“Deadly epidemics may break out in the city due to the lack of centralized water supply and sewers,” the city council said on the messaging app Telegram.
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