Kiev says Azovstal attack continues, Ukraine accuses Russia of firing missiles at Odessa

“The enemy is ‘overwhelming’ against the resistance of the Mariupol security forces stationed in the Azovstal factory area. Our soldiers remained in defensive positions despite the attacks, and also tried to counterattack,” Arestovich said at a press conference held today.

The statement was made by adviser Arestovich just two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin directed the Russian military to continue blocking Azovstal so that “not even a fly can get out”.

The AP news agency quoted Ukrainian officials as an estimate that about 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers are still entrenched in the Azovstal steel plant.

Video: Scene of ruins in the area of ​​Azovstal steel factory. Source: Voenhronika.ru/ RT

Kiev accuses Russia of firing missiles at Odessa

Al Jazeera news agency quoted Odessa, Ukraine officials as saying that the Russian military today carried out missile attacks on this port city.

“Odessa was hit with a missile. Infrastructure in the city was hit,” a statement from Odessa city officials said.

Russian military officials have not yet commented on the allegation.

Ukraine announced the evacuation of civilians from the war zone

Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said that the Ukrainian authorities will today try to evacuate women, children and the elderly from the port city of Mariupol.

“If everything goes according to plan, the evacuation of people from the city of Mariupol will begin at noon on April 23 (local time). Many of our previous attempts to evacuate people have failed,” Vereshchuk said on Telegram.

Meanwhile, Lugansk Governor Serhiy Haidai said that trains carrying people evacuated from war zones in Donbass will depart today. It is expected that the displaced people will be transported to the city of Chop located in western Ukraine, located near the country’s border with Slovakia and Hungary.

At the same time, Mr. Haidai in a statement on the same day accused the Russians of maintaining artillery shelling throughout the Donbass region, especially in the city of Popasna. “The enemy shelled continuously on apartment buildings and many low-rise apartments in the city of Popasna. Yesterday, the people there suffered five shelling,” added Haidai.

Tuan Tran