About 300 civilians may remain on territory of Azovstal plant in Mariupol: Evacuee

About 300 civilians may remain on the territory adjacent to the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, where the remaining Ukrainian forces have been hiding since the takeover of the port city by the Russian troops, a resident evacuated from the territory said on Sunday.

"About 300 people. Maybe a little more, I think so," the resident said.

Over the past two days, over 80 civilians have been evacuated from the territory of the Azovstal plant and its vicinity by the Russian troops under the monitoring of the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). They were provided with overnight shelter, food and medical assistance.

On February 24, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian forces. Russia said that the aim of its operation is "demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine."

On March 7, forces of the Donetsk People's Republic surrounded Mariupol and began a liberation campaign, with the remaining fighters of the nationalist Azov battalion now hiding in the underground tunnels of the Azovstal plant. (ANI/Sputnik)

( With inputs from ANI )

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