Russians have not allowed the evacuation corridor from Mariupol to be opened up: Vereshchuk appealed to the United Nations
VALENTYNA ROMANENKO — SUNDAY, 24 APRIL 2022, 17:11
Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk says the United Nations must provide a humanitarian corridor from Mariupol, which is occupied by the Russian army.
Source: Vereshchuk on air during the 24/7 national newscast
Details: The Minister said that the humanitarian corridor from Mariupol could not be opened up on Easter Sunday, 24 April: Russia has not confirmed the guarantee of the ceasefire.
According to her, this is the issue that UN Secretary General António Guterres should raise during his visit to Russia.
Quote: "We are no longer asking, we are demanding that the UN ensure a ceasefire and the opening of a humanitarian corridor from Azovstal and Mariupol in general.
At Azovstal, there are now 1,000 women and children, plus 500, maybe more, wounded, and almost 50 people are in urgent need of professional emergency care.
This is what Mr Guterres should say in Moscow if he is going to talk about peace.
All other agreements will carry no weight, because the most important thing that the UN can do, and what others cannot do, is to open a humanitarian corridor. "
Previously:
The Deputy Commander of the "Azov" Regiment, Sviatoslav Palamar, informed Ukrainska Pravda on 24 April that there was no ceasefire in Mariupol. Aerial bombs fall every three minutes, and the Russians are trying to storm the positions of Ukrainian defenders.
He thanked all those who are working to free people from Mariupol, and called on the whole world to do everything possible.
Background:
- Mariupol has been under siege since 1 March. The Ukrainian Defence Forces continue to courageously defend part of the blocked city, including civilians (mostly women and children) who are hiding from the occupiers' atrocities in the basements of the Azovstal plant. The Russian army is striking Azovstal with heavy bombs.
- Ukrainian defenders sent videos from the bunkers of the Azovstal plant, where children and their mothers are hiding. The children in the video say that they hope to see the light of the sun and hug their relatives.
- Russian invaders are secretly burying the bodies of thousands of dead Mariupol residents outside the city in mass graves.
- Ukrainian intelligence has information that the Russian authorities plan to assign units of the "Rosguard" and the FSB [Russian Federal Security Service] to storm the positions of Ukrainian defenders at the Azovstal plant.