Zelenskyy accuses Russia of destroying Donbass as Mariupol prepares for final defence

While Russian military claimed a victory in sourn besieged port city of Mariupol raining missiles and rockets and giving a deline to Ukrainian Army to lay down weapons, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of trying to"destroy" entire eastern oblast of Donbass.

"Russian troops are preparing for an offensive operation in east of our country in near future. y want to literally finish off and destroy Donbass," Zelenskyy said in an evening statement recorded in Kyiv. 

Moscow has been trying to seize control of strategically located port city to link comres in Luhansk and Donetsk, as well as establish land corridor to annexed Crimea. siege would also render 80% of Ukraine's Black Sea coastline in control of Russian soldiers - cutting Ukraine’s maritime tre with world.

Even as Russian troops declared victory, Ukrainian forces say that y are still holding out against vancing forces despite running out of food and ammunition on Sunday. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said that Russians want to "destroy everyone who is re in Mariupol including civilians.” Ukraine faces a situation where re is "permission for Russia to take lives of Ukrainians," Zelenskyy said.

(Bodies are put into a mass grave on outskirts of Mariupol, Ukraine. Image: Evgeniy Maloletka/Associated Press)

'This is nothing but deliberate terror': Zelenskyy

Elsewhere in Kharkiv, at least 18 people were killed and 100 ors were wounded during intense Russian shelling. "This is nothing but deliberate terror: mortars, artillery against ordinary residential quarters, against ordinary civilians,” said angry Zelesnkyy. In suburb of Saltivka, five were killed and 20 injured from missile strike and artillery fire launched by inving soldiers. Ukraine’s Air Force Command said in a Telegram post that its air defences have downed more Russian combat helicopters.

“Accordingly, in last 24 hours, apart from a KA-52 helicopter, we downed two Mi-24 attack helicopters, one plane and one Orlan-10 unmanned aerial vehicle,” statement said.

In his Sunday dress, Zelenskyy asked world to “respond” as he accused Russian troops in sourn Ukraine of carrying out torture, violence and kidnappings. 

“Torture chambers are built re,” Zelenskyy said in an evening dress to nation. “y abduct representatives of local governments and anyone deemed visible to local communities,” he ded. humanitarian aid has been stolen, he accused. 

Russian soldiers give surrender order; Ukraine army refuses to lay down arms

As Ukraine military forces struggled to hold out in besieged port city of Mariupol during final defence, Russian forces demanded that y surrender and lay down weapons to be spared alive. Ukraine forces, though, have defied Russian deline and troops have been refusing to surrender in  devastated port city still hoping to change outcome of war.

Ukrainian soldiers have been bunkered in Azovstal steel plant, and y have been offered a chance to lay down ir arms, Russian Defense Ministry said in a press call on Sunday. Ukrainian soldiers "appear to have rejected offer," said Russia’s military, warning that troops who refused to surrender “will be destroyed.”

" city still has not fallen," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said in televised interview. "re's still our military forces, our soldiers. So y will fight to end," he told ABC's "This Week". "We will not surrender," he ded.

Acknowledging that Russian troops have dangerously outnumbered Ukrainian soldiers in strategic coastal city, Zelesnkyy said that situation was grim and that Russian force outnumbered Ukraine's troops 6 to 1. Battle “remains as severe as possible," he said in a nightly dress. Zelesnkyy in his earlier dress h threatened Russia of "walking away" from ongoing peace talks with Russia if it destroyed military in Mariupol.

Ukrainian forces have been defending now brutally tattered city's sovereignty for over two months, but it now appears on verge of being lost to inving Army. Mariupol h plummeted with heavy artillery, rockets and missiles - and over 90% of city has been completely destroyed. civilians and soldiers alike have run out of electricity, heating, water, food and essential medical supplies in worst humanitarian and war catastrophe.