The Azov Battalion asks the international community for a humanitarian corridor to evacuate civilians in Mariupol

Follow live the latest news about the war in Ukraine

Follow live the latest news about the war in Ukraine

MADRID, 19 Apr. (EUROPE PRESS) –

The leader of the Ukrainian paramilitary group Azov Battalion, Major Denis Prokopenko, has called on the international community for a humanitarian corridor to evacuate civilians at the Azovstal steel mill in the besieged city of Mariupol.

“At the moment there are hundreds of civilians at the Azovstal plant. Among them there are many children of different ages, women, the elderly, families of defenders of Mariupol, who are hiding in basements and air-raid shelters,” he said in his Telegram profile. , as reported by the Ukrinform news agency.

“That is why I appeal to politicians throughout the civilized world: organize a corridor. Provide security guarantees to immediately evacuate civilians, the wounded and the bodies of dead soldiers, who must be buried with honors,” he said. aggregate.

According to Prokopenko, Russian forces are bombing the plant “deliberately” with aviation bombs, as well as with missiles and “all possible artillery”, including from ships, according to the Ukrainian radio station Hromadske.

In addition, the Mariupol City Council has previously reported on its official Facebook account that Russian troops are attacking the plant with heavy bombs and that there would be at least 1,000 civilians inside the underground shelters of the metallurgical plant, mostly women with children. and elderly.

Air strikes have been concentrated in recent days on the port and Azovstal blast furnaces, where the remaining Ukrainian fighters in the city have taken refuge inside. In fact, this very Sunday, the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denis Shmigal, assured that they would continue fighting “until the end”.

Russia had threatened with the “annihilation” of the Ukrainian forces that did not accept the conditions of surrender in this area before noon on Sunday, a request that, however, has been ignored by Ukraine.

“The Russian Armed Forces offer the militants of the nationalist battalions and foreign mercenaries blockaded in Mariupol to end hostilities and lay down their arms from 06:00 Moscow time on Sunday, April 17, their lives will be spared. “, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.