Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Sunday night that more than 300 civilians have been rescued from the Azovstal steel complex in Mariupol, which has been targeted by Russian shelling for several weeks.
Zelensky stated in a video address that authorities are now focused on evacuating the injured and medics, in addition to working on opening humanitarian corridors for all residents of Mariupol and neighboring towns. Earlier on Saturday, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk reported that all civilians, including women, children, and the elderly, had been evacuated from the Azovstal complex in the coastal city of Mariupol, despite the Ukrainian army's announcement of continued Russian attacks on the factory. Vereshchuk added on Telegram, "This part of the humanitarian operation in Mariupol is over."
Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Saturday that the evacuation of civilians from the Azovstal complex had been completed. The Soviet-era steel plant, which served as the last stronghold of Ukrainian forces in Mariupol, has become a symbol of resistance against Russia's broader attempts to seize areas in eastern and southern Ukraine amid the ongoing offensive for ten weeks.
Under intense bombardment, fighters and civilians have been trapped for weeks in deep shelters and tunnels beneath the site, lacking sufficient food, water, and medicine. The Ukrainian military's leadership reported that Russian forces, supported by tanks and artillery, again tried on Saturday to storm Azovstal as part of a fierce attack to drive out the last Ukrainian defenders of the strategic coastal city overlooking the Sea of Azov.
Mariupol has suffered extensive destruction due to the ongoing Russian shelling for weeks, with most of the steel plant area being obliterated. Several groups of civilians left the sprawling complex over the past week during brief pauses in fighting. Evacuation operations were facilitated by the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross at the beginning of last week, but they were halted during the week due to renewed fighting.
Source: Sky News
