Vereshchuk demands that Russia organise a corridor for the civilian population of Mariupol
DENYS KARLOVSKYI — MONDAY, 18 APRIL 2022, 16:14
Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk has addressed the Russian leadership and demanded that a corridor be opened for the evacuation of civilians from Mariupol to Berdiansk.
Source: Vereshchuk’s Facebook page
Quote from Vereshchuk: "We demand the opening of a humanitarian corridor for civilians from Mariupol to Berdiansk.
We also demand an urgent humanitarian corridor from the territory of the ‘Azovstal plant’ for women, children and other civilians."
Details: Vereshchuk warned that the refusal of the Russian occupiers to organise a safe corridor for evacuation would be a basis for their prosecution for war crimes.
She explained that she appealed to the Russian authorities because of the worsening of the situation in Mariupol.
Background:
- Civilians, including infants and their mothers, are hiding in underground bunkers at the "Azovstal metallurgical plant", which is still held by Ukrainian defenders. They have no food or drinking water. Under the control of the Russian military, journalists from the international news agency Reuters visited Mariupol. Hundreds of corpses of civilians are lying in the open air.
- The commander of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade, Major Serhiy Volyna, who is defending Mariupol, has written a letter to Pope Francis asking him to help save the civilians from the "hell on earth" in Mariupol organised by the Russian occupiers.
- The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has information that the Russians are preparing an operation to land marines in Mariupol to surround and kill Ukrainian defenders in the city. British intelligence believes that the heroic resistance of defenders in the city has prevented the Russian occupiers from advancing in all directions.
- In an interview with Ukrainian journalists, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the elimination of the Ukrainian defenders of Mariupol would put an end to negotiations with Russia. The same thesis was repeated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba.
