Ukraine War: New evacuation attempt in Mariupol

In Mariupol, Ukraine, another attempt is to be made today to bring residents out of the city via a humanitarian corridor. A first attempt failed on Saturday because the ceasefire had not been observed.

A new attempt is to be made in Mariupol to bring the residents of the Ukrainian port city to safety. Local authorities announced via the messenger service Telegram that a second attempt to evacuate the city, which has been fought over for days, will begin at 11 a.m. Central European Time.

A cease-fire had been agreed again with the Russian troops. According to the Mariupol coordination center, this should start at 9 a.m. Central European Time and last until 8 p.m. During this time, people are to be taken out of Mariupol via a humanitarian corridor. The corridor should lead to the city of Zaporizhia, which is about three hours away. The Red Cross is to support the evacuation.

Ceasefire violated on Saturday

A large-scale evacuation of civilian areas of Mariupol had already been planned for Saturday. To this end, Russia and Ukraine had agreed on a ceasefire. However, the Ukrainian authorities interrupted the evacuation operation, citing violations of the ceasefire by Russia. For its part, Moscow accused Kyiv of being responsible for the end of the ceasefire and said it resumed “offensive actions” in Mariupol on Saturday afternoon.

Since then, Russian forces have apparently increased the shelling of the port city. Airplanes would also be used, according to the city’s mayor. “The city is under a very, very difficult state of siege,” Vadym Boichenko said on Ukrainian television. “Apartment blocks are constantly being shelled, planes are dropping bombs on residential areas.”

“The situation is getting worse every day”

The aid organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned of the now catastrophic situation in Mariupol. MSF emergency coordinator in Ukraine Laurent Ligozat said the situation was getting worse by the day. It is essential that the civilian population is taken out of the city via a humanitarian corridor.

The people of Mariupol have “very serious problems getting access to drinking water,” said Ligozat. This becomes a “crucial problem”. Electricity and heating also stopped working in Mariupol. “The groceries are running out, the shops are empty.”

“Russia commits war crimes”

Deputy Mayor of Mariupol Serhiy Orlov raised in the daily topics serious allegations against the Russian army. “She’s committing war crimes,” he said. The assembly points for the people who were to be taken out of the city were fired upon. “They want to kill as many Ukrainians as possible.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) accused Russia of also attacking health centers during the offensive in Ukraine. There were also dead and injured, criticized WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Twitter. Other incidents would be investigated. “Attacks on health facilities or employees violate medical neutrality and violate international human rights,” the WHO chief continued.

Russia continues offensive

Meanwhile, according to the Ukrainian General Staff, Russia is continuing its offensive. Three cities are named as the current focus: the capital Kyiv, the second largest city in the country Kharkiv in the north-east and the city of Mykolaiv in the south on the Black Sea coast.

The situation in the three cities seems to be different. Kyiv has remained tense since the outbreak of war. Again and again there are explosions and siren alarms. The suburbs – especially in the north-west – are now like a heap of rubble, as the photos from several small towns near Kiev show.

Several explosions in Kharkiv

the end Kharkiv the residents reported explosions and fire salvos during the night. The local disaster service said that around ten high-rise residential buildings were damaged yesterday. Pictures show black smoke billowing out of the windows. According to consistent information, residential areas, administrative buildings and infrastructure were shot at. Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov said: “We actually wanted to celebrate Shrovetide at the time. But that was before the war. Now our city is being bombed. Now we have to survive, we have to win. And we will definitely rebuild everything.”

Kharkiv, a predominantly Russian-speaking city, is close to the border with Russia. Artillery and aerial bombardment has continued for days. A historic cathedral in the heart of the city was not spared either. Photographs show shattered panes of glass and fallen images of saints.

We read from the head of the Ukrainian delegation at the negotiations with Russia that they are trying to set up a humanitarian corridor for Kharkiv today. Whether it works remains unclear.

Bombs on residential areas

Residents and authorities from other cities are also reporting stronger attacks – for example from the city with 290,000 inhabitants Chernihiv north-east of Kyiv, which according to Ukrainian sources came under heavy fire from Russian forces. 17 people were killed in the region.

The Russian army dropped bombs on residential areas in the city, sources said. The head of the region of the same name, Vyacheslav Chausm, published a photo of an unexploded FAB-500, a 500-kilogram Soviet-designed bomb, dropped from the air. “Typically, this weapon is used against military-industrial installations and fortified structures,” Chaus said. “But in Chernihiv it is used against residential areas.”

Optimism in the south and protests

On the other hand, the regional governor was optimistic Mykolayiv in southern Ukraine. Vitalij Kim keeps coming back from the office with a short update: “Don’t overestimate their strength. Let’s just do our thing. Let’s keep working to ward them off.”

The Ukrainian General Staff considers Mykolaiv to be one of the strategic targets of the Russian troops. The Black Sea city is known for shipbuilding and industry. So far, she appears to have successfully defended herself. Protests erupted yesterday in several cities that Russia has declared occupied. In Kherson – also in southern Ukraine – the large Freedom Square in the city center was packed with people. Protests are also announced for today. Residents of some cities want to take to the streets to protest against the Russian occupation.​

With information from Palina Milling, WDR