However, it’s too soon to claim that Russians took control over the city. Fierce fights occur near Azovstal, the gigantic metallurgy enterprise; Russian occupants are, in fact, devastating this enterprise.
During TV marathon, Vadym Denysenko, the Counselor of Ukraine’s Interior Minister claimed that the enemy tries to fulfill Putin’s order to destroy Mariupol as an industrial city, and to destroy Ukraine’s industry. “Putin’s objective is not demilitarization, but de-industrialization of Ukraine for the next few decades”, Vadym Denysenko said.
According to the local city hall, on March 18, part of Mariupol residents managed to leave Mariupol and move to safe areas.
“More than 4,000 evacuated citizens of Mariupol reached safety in Zaporizhya. It’s not enough, but each of these lives is priceless because it’s people, not the walls that make Mariupol”, said counselor of Mariupol mayor Petro Andryushchenko. “I’ll give you an idea of what this day was like – briefly. Five buses from Berdyansk, and almost 700 people are here. But the occupants stopped the bus for a night before it reached the area controlled by us. On Saturday, March 19, people will be here, but the Russians constantly invent new ways to mock the residents of Mariupol. The other nine buses that went to Berdyansk were halted by the Russians and turned back towards Zaporizhya. The occupants opened fire on them on the way back. Good thing there were no victims”.
According to Andryushchenko, sad signals also appear, claiming that Mariupol residents are being forcefully evacuated to Russia, and Russians seize the agricultural products from local producers. “We’re checking the news now, but it looks quite like the truth. We keep documenting the crimes against humanity committed by Russian occupants”, he said.
The images show scenes from the battlefields in Mariupol
Photos are taken from azov.org.ua
