Group of about 20 civilians leaves Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol.
Written by News Room on May 1, 2022
A group of about 20 civilians has left the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol, the final part of the southern city still in the hands of Ukrainian troops.
They are the first group to leave since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the vast industrial area sealed off last week.
Talks are ongoing about freeing the reported 1,000 civilians still trapped inside.
Taking Mariupol would aid Moscow’s plans to seize the entire south coast of Ukraine, which would unite pro-Russia separatist regions such as Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine with Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. It would also increase access to the pro-Russia Transnistria area across Ukraine’s western border in Moldova.
Seun Fakorede
