One of the last Ukrainian defenders in Mariupol has said the besieged Azovstal steelworks plant where they are sheltering has been largely destroyed above ground and civilians are trapped under collapsed buildings.The Azovstal steel plant, the last main Ukrainian stronghold in Mariupol, has been under constant attack by Russian troops.
Meanwhile, Russia on 24th February launched the war on Ukraine. And, according to the latest updates, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said Russia rejected a proposed Easter truce, but that he remains hopeful of prospects for peace. Earlier this week Russia rejected the same request from the UN, stating the ask was not “sincere” and would give Ukrainian fighters more time to arm themselves. While Western officials said Putin is “still in a position to win” in Ukraine despite failing in his pre-war objectives. Russia had started to address some of the issues that had hindered its army at the start of the invasion, one official said. About 120,000 civilians are blocked from leaving Mariupol, Zelenskiy said. Three school buses filled with people from Mariupol arrived in Zaporizhzhia today after crossing through territory held by Russian forces, but Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, Iryna Vereshchuk, said the number of evacuees was far smaller than had been hoped for.