Russia sets 5am deadline for Ukrainian forces’ surrender in Mariupol

Ukraine

 

Russia sets 5am deadline for Ukrainian forces’ surrender in Mariupol

Moscow, saying ‘terrible humanitarian catastrophe’ is unfolding in city, offers safe passages to fighters who lay down arms

• Russia-Ukraine war: latest updates

Tanks of pro-Russian troops on the outskirts of the besieged southern port city of Mariupol in Ukraine. Photograph: Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters

 

Reuters

Sun 20 Mar 2022 22.14 GMT

 

Russia has given Ukrainian forces a deadline of 5am Moscow time (2am GMT) to lay down their arms in the eastern port city of Mariupol, where it said a “terrible humanitarian catastrophe” was unfolding.

“Lay down your arms,” Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, the director of the Russian National Defence Management Center, said on Sunday in a briefing. “A terrible humanitarian catastrophe has developed,” he said. “All who lay down their arms are guaranteed safe passage out of Mariupol.”

 

Mariupol has suffered some of the heaviest bombardment since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February. Many of its 400,000 residents remain trapped in the city with little, if any, food, water or power.

 

 

 

 

 

Ukraine says no question of surrendering city of Mariupol - media

A man carries his belongings while walking along a road past tanks of pro-Russian troops during Ukraine-Russia conflict on the outskirts of the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine March 20, 2022. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko reuters_tickers

 

 

This content was published on March 21, 2022 - 00:54March 21, 2022 - 00:54

(Reuters) - There is no question of Ukraine giving up the city of Mariupol and laying down arms, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said early on Monday.

"There can be no question of any surrender, laying down of arms," the Ukrainska Pravda news portal cited Vereshchuk as saying. "We have already informed the Russian side about this."

On Sunday, Russia demanded Ukrainian forces lay down their arms in the besieged eastern port city. [L2N2VN0FJ]

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly and Ron Popeski)