Russia-Ukraine war: UN facilitates safe evacuation of 100 civilians from Mariupol

With the besieged city of Mariupol in Ukraine being constantly attacked by Russian forces since the Russia-Ukraine war started in late February and civilians stranded in the city seeking evacuation, the deputy commander of the National Guard’s Azov Regiment, Capt. Savyatoslav Palmar stated that around the weekend of April 23, over 100 evacuees from Mariupol landed in Ukrainian-controlled Zaporizhya, Kyiv Post reported.

The evacuation was facilitated by the United Nations with the help of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Their journey lasted nearly five days after passing through numerous Russian and Ukrainian military checkpoints. However, there are still a number of civilians stranded in Mariupol.

Palmar also stated that a powerful attack on the Azovstal steel plant is underway and called for immediate action to evacuate civilians from the plant's grounds and transport them safely to a Ukrainian-controlled area adding that bombs were dropped on the premises of the Azovstal plant overnight on April 3. Palamar further stated that two civilian women were killed and ten more were injured as a result of the bombardment.

Palmar says Ukraine will resist this attack in any way they can

Capt. Savyatoslav Palmar said that Ukraine will resist this attack in any way they can as a combined army of some 1,000 marines, national guardsmen, border guards, security service agents and police officers is still protecting the massive plant, which has a vast network of underground tunnels that provide them with refuge and defensive positions.

Palamar also remarked that if he and his soldiers were captured by the Russians, he and his fighters had little faith that they would be treated with dignity as prisoners of war, according to a CNN report. He accused Russia of war crimes and claimed that the Russians are violating international rules by murdering and torturing POWs.

ICRC stated that they will keep working to ensure people's safe passage

On May 3, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stated that they will keep working to ensure people's safe passage. On the same day, the head of the Mariupol police patrol said his colleague, Danylo Safonov, was killed on May 2 while defending Mariupol, according to Kyiv Post. 

Mykhailo Vershynin, chief of the Mariupol police patrol stated that Safonov was killed together with two other servicemen after returning from a mission.

(Image: AP)