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Russia issues an ultimatum, calling on Ukraine to lay down arms in the strategic city of Mariupol

Destruction at a hospital in Mariupol after fighting. (Photo: AP)

Lower your weapon. A terrible humanitarian disaster is taking place. All those who drop their weapons are guaranteed safe departure from Mariupol“, Colonel Mikhail Mizintsev, head of the Russian Center for Defense Control, said at a press conference published by the Russian Defense Ministry on March 20.

The deadline set by Russia is 9 am on March 21 (Vietnam time).

However, according to the online news website Ukrainska Pravda, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk quickly issued a refusal from the Ukrainian side, stating that “it is impossible to talk about surrender, lay down arms”, and continued. ask Russia to open humanitarian corridor.

The Russian side said that humanitarian corridors will be opened from the east and west of the city of Mariupol to allow civilians to evacuate the city. The opening time will be at 10 am (Moscow time, ie 14 pm on March 21 in Vietnam time).

According to Reuters news agency, the port city of Mariupol has suffered the heaviest shelling since Russia deployed military campaign in Ukraine February 24th. Of Mariupol’s 400,000 residents, many are still trapped without food, water and electricity.

Russia issued an ultimatum, calling on Ukraine to lay down its arms in the strategic city of Mariupol - Photo 1.

Residential area under missile attack in the city of Kiev, Ukraine. (Photo: AP)

Mizintsev said that by 5 am on March 21, Ukrainian forces must respond to Russia’s request for humanitarian corridors and to lay down arms in Mariupol.

Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other for failing to open humanitarian corridors in recent weeks.

Mizintsev accused Ukrainian nationalists and “neo-fascists” of causing the killings in Mariupol. Meanwhile, Ukraine vowed to continue fighting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on March 19 that the siege of Mariupol was “a horror that will be recorded for centuries to come”.

According to the Russian side, the fighting situation in Mariupol, a city bordering the Sea of ​​Azov, is still fierce. Moscow has tightened the siege around this strategic city. If it gains control of Mariupol and its surrounding areas, Russia will gain control of the Sea of ​​Azov region. From the Sea of ​​Azov, Russia could open the way down to the Black Sea, leading to a scenario where it could control Ukraine’s coastline.

In addition, if it controls Mariupol, Russia may create a land corridor in Ukraine, connecting the breakaway territories in Eastern Ukraine and the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. 3 confirmed, Ukrainian forces have “temporarily” lost access to the Sea of ​​Azov due to the military operation of the Russian armed forces.

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