"Mariupol is being destroyed, I am begging for help and a corridor for evacuation" – mayor

YEVHEN RUDENKO, OLENA ROSCHINA — FRIDAY, 4 MARCH 2022 17:42

Russian troops have been mercilessly shelling Mariupol for five days, destroying its infrastructure – the city has been left without heat, water and electricity, there are 300 injured people in hospital, but these are being targeted as well.

Source: Mayor of Mariupol Vadym Boichenko on Ukrainian TV channels

Quote: "I don't know where the situation has become better or stabilised (refuted the words of Iryna Vereshchuk on national TV – UP).

Mariupol has been under ruthless shelling of residential infrastructure for five days. We are simply being destroyed by Grad rockets, howitzers and air bombardment. The shelling is not even stopping right at this moment. We can’t talk about stabilisation now."

Details: According to Boychenko, Mariupol residents have been without heat, water, and electricity for five days. They are running out of food and medicine as well.

There are 300 injured in the hospital. 

He said that doctors are fighting for the lives of Mariupol residents round the clock, they are moving to hospitals with their families, but "Hospitals are being targeted by Russian troops, they are shooting at the hospitals."

Quote: "We are screaming already at all levels: the Armed Forces of Ukraine need help. Our heroic soldiers, the Azov regiment, the National Guard, the Marines, the police, all are fighting already for our homeland.

The Mariupol Outpost today is under the Ukrainian flag, but we also need military assistance, a corridor, and silence so that civilians can be evacuated. I am asking, I am begging for support for the city of Mariupol."

Details: Boychenko noted that on 3 March, one of the points in the negotiation process between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations on the territory of Belarus was to provide a humanitarian green corridor for Mariupol.

"Now we are arranging, as far as possible, for this route to appear, so we can proceed with the appropriate evacuation. We are preparing, but so far there is no silence period, and it’s impossible to do it".

"There is a lot of work to be done, but first of all we need silence," the mayor said.

"I don't know if the Russian side has a desire to cooperate, maybe their plan is to wipe Mariupol off the face of the earth," he added.