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Russia issues ultimatum to the city of Mariupol

The Russian Defense Ministry set a deadline for Ukrainian troops in the port city of Mariupol to surrender their weapons this morning, but Kiev refused.

RIA Novosti on March 20 quoted Colonel Mikhail Mizintsev, director of the Russian Center for Defense Management, asking the authorities and the defense forces of the city of Mariupol to lay down their weapons and surrender to Russian troops before 5:00 pm on March 21. Hanoi time).

“A terrible humanitarian catastrophe has spread. Everyone who drops their weapons is guaranteed safety from Mariupol,” Colonel Mizintsev said. He said humanitarian corridors for civilians would open east and west of Mariupol at 10:00 (14:00 GMT).

Mariupol, with its strategic location on the shores of the Sea of ​​Azov, has been the target of a siege by Russian forces since early March, after it launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24. About 400,000 Mariupol residents are believed to remain trapped in the city amid the shooting without electricity, water or heating.

“The Mariupol authorities now have the opportunity to vote and side with the people, otherwise a military tribunal awaits them and that is only a fraction of what they deserve for their horrific crimes. Russia documents the crime very carefully,” Mizintsev said.





Pro-Russian separatist tanks move on the outskirts of Mariupol, southeastern Ukraine on March 20.  Photo: Reuters.

Pro-Russian separatist tanks move on the outskirts of Mariupol, southeastern Ukraine on March 20. Photo: Reuters.

Russia and Ukraine blame each other for failing to open a humanitarian corridor in Mariupol. Mizintsev accused “thugs”, “new Nazis” and nationalists in Ukraine of “mass terror” and murderous activity in the city, but did not elaborate on the evidence.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk later rejected Russia’s ultimatum. “There will be no surrender or disarmament, we have informed the Russian side about this,” he told Ukraine’s Pravda website. “I replied: Instead of wasting time writing eight pages in one letter, open the corridors of humanity.”

Mariupol includes a corridor at the crossroads linking the Crimean peninsula in the south and the Donetsk region in the east, which is partly controlled by pro-Russian separatists. The military situation here is getting more and more tense, as the fighting is getting more intense.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense announced on March 18 that it had “temporarily” lost access to the Sea of ​​Azov, as Russian forces tightened the siege around the major Mariupol port along this sea. The statement came after Russia said its troops were “tightening the ropes” around the city.





The location of the city of Mariupol and the direction of advance of the Russian troops.  Graphics: AP.

The location of the city of Mariupol and the direction of advance of the Russian troops. graphic: AP.

After more than three weeks of carrying out military operations in Ukraine, Russia has taken control of the Kherson region in the south, while continuing to push for the siege of many other major cities, including Kiev and Kharkov. Russian troops around the capital Kiev have barely moved in the past two weeks.

There have been sporadic fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces in the northwest and east of the capital Kiev. The British Ministry of Defense assessed that Russian troops had made “limited progress” in capturing the Ukrainian cities they besieged.





Military power correlation between Russia and Ukraine.  Click on the photo to see the details.

Military power correlation between Russia and Ukraine. Click on the photo to see the details.

Huyen Le (Based on Guardian)

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