Hot war in Ukraine: A convoy of up to 1,000 cars left Mariupol, what is happening?

Many people who arrived in the Ukrainian-controlled city of Zaporizhzhia said they left at night, took “secret detours” to avoid Russian checkpoints, and were filled with fear every moment during the journey.

They talked about the fear of living under the constant shelling and the inconsolable pain of thinking about the family members who were killed by bombs and were forced to leave to decide to flee this city. Nikolai Pavlo, 74, who had been hiding in the basement with few belongings for weeks, told Reuters: “The trip was brutal. But there was no other choice.”

Another resident, 63-year-old Iryna Petrenko, waited in the city until the 92-year-old mother she was caring for passed away. “We buried my mother right next to the house because there was nowhere to bury anyone,” she told Reuters.

Russia now controls much of the strategic port city while fierce fighting continues for control of the Azovstal steel factory, where countless soldiers, civilians and the dead have been trapped in the sea. many weeks.

Ukraine’s military is making major advances in the north, especially in and around Kharkiv, which has come under a Russian attack in the early days of the war. The British Ministry of Defense estimates that Russia has lost a third of its ground forces since the special military operation began on February 24, but “under current conditions, Russia is unlikely to accelerate its offensive.” in the next 30 days”.

While the battle raged on land, diplomatic flashpoints continued. Finland – which declared independence from Russia in 1917 – said on May 14 it would apply to join NATO, despite Russian President Vladimir Putin saying he “would be forced to take retaliatory steps”. to “prevent threats to its national security”.