Ukraine Russia Conflict: Mariupol is being ‘tortured to death’ says Zelensky

Addressing Chatham House, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy says the devastated southern port city of Mariupol is “an example of torture and starvation used as a weapon of war". He also said that no international organisations can enter the city.

"This inhumanity and cruelty is how the Russian military treats people. Death is not caused by war. This is not a military event. This is torturing to death. This is terrorism and hatred" he added.

Meanwhile, Russia on 24th February launched its invasion of Ukraine. And, according to the latest updates, the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, demanded that Ukraine order its fighters holed up in Azovstal to surrender, the Kremlin said. In a call with Israel’s prime minister, Naftali Bennett, Putin claimed Russia was still ready to provide safe passage for civilians from the plant, according to the Kremlin. However, the UK government has placed sanctions on Evraz, the multinational steelmaker part-owned by the billionaire Roman Abramovich. The company was formerly counted among Britain’s biggest companies. The Foreign Office said on Thursday that the action would “further chip away at Putin’s financial reserves and siege economy, and support Ukraine’s continued resistance”. Also, a $300 million yacht belonging to Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov has been seized by Fijian authorities at the request of the United States Department of Justice.