Russians block evacuation from other locations in Zaporizhzhia Region

Tuesday, 3 May 2022, 19:38

Denys Karlovskyi — Tuesday, 3 May 2022, 19:38

The Russian occupiers have been blocking the evacuation of people from other locations in Zaporizhzhia Region since the arrival of civilian convoys from the Azovstal steelworks on 3 May.

Source: Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration on Telegram, with a comment from its head, Oleksandr Starukh

Direct quote from Starukh: "The Russian side has not let people out for seven days. Our side is not letting them out because there might be shelling.

Obviously everyone is on edge, under stress. Thousands of people from Zaporizhzhia Region are also unable to evacuate. After the buses with people from Mariupol on board had gone through, the Russian side stopped letting others through, i.e., they closed the exit from that side.

You have to understand that this is a war. This is the line of contact. Everyone has to join together and find solutions to problems. Everyone is making huge efforts."

Details: The Ukrainian authorities had secured agreements that the Russian military would allow people in their own vehicles to join the evacuation convoy of people from Azovstal, which was moving under the auspices of the UN.

But the Russians did not allow those wishing to leave Tokmak, Berdiansk and Vasylivka in Zaporizhzhia Region to join the evacuation convoy.

Previously: On 1 May, with the assistance of the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Ukrainian authorities managed to evacuate some of the civilians who had been hiding from the Russian occupiers in the bunkers of the Azovstal plant in Mariupol. On the afternoon of 3 May, the convoy of evacuees arrived in Zaporizhzhia.