No evacuations yet in Mariupol, “the Russians continue to fire”

Russian troops would not respect the agreed temporary ceasefire. Citizens are urged to take shelter.

Mariupol deputy mayor Sergij Orlov told the BBC that “our citizens are ready to flee, but they cannot flee because of the artillery fire.”

Not respected

In a previous report, the administration of the port city in southeastern Ukraine had already indicated that the ceasefire along part of the planned evacuation route had not yet been respected. by the Russian army.

“The Russians keep shelling us and shelling us with artillery. It’s crazy,” Orlov said. A resident of Mariupol told British TV that he heard shelling every few minutes. “I see cars coming back with people who tried to flee.”

Pro-Russian rebels

Russia and Ukraine had previously agreed that residents would have five hours to leave the besieged city. About 450,000 people live in Mariupol. A temporary ceasefire has also been agreed for the small town of Volnovacha, about 50 kilometers north of Mariupol.

Pro-Russian rebels, who control part of eastern Ukraine and fight on the Russian side, blame the Ukrainian “nationalists” in Mariupol, according to the Russian news agency RIA. They would not cooperate in the humanitarian corridor for people who want to flee the city.