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160 car convoy of Ukrainian civilians escapes Mariupol
A 160 car convoy made up of Ukrainian civilians escaped the devastated Ukrainian city of Mariupol today after a massive shelling by Russian forces.
Iryna Vereshchuk, the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister, referred to the situation in Mariupol as “catastrophic” after over 2,500 people were killed during the Russian attack. It was reported that “the city started using an 82-foot-long trench as a mass grave after the local morgues started overflowing”.
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Ukrainian authorities reported that “civilians have been trapped in the city for more than two weeks with a shortage of food and water”. They added that citizens have been without basic needs such as food, water, and electricity due to Russian forces disrupting humanitarian efforts.
After a week of negotiating between Ukrainian and Russian peace makers, Russia finally agreed to opening up a humanitarian corridor for Ukrainian evacuees. The 160 car convoy was still required to pass through multiple Russian check points on their way to Zaporizhia, approximately 140 miles from Mariupol. Additionally, busses were not allowed to travel the authorized rout.
Mariupol city counsel representative, Andrei Rempel, told reporters, “The city continues to be bombed, but this road is not being shelled. We don’t know when the first cars can get to Zaporizhzhia as there are still many Russian checkpoints that need to be passed”.
Petro Andriushchenko, a Mariupol mayor’s office advisor said that the city cannot guarantee the safety of evacuees, but acknowledges that the humanitarian corridor approved by Russian forces is currently the only way out of the city.
While the cease fire between Russian and Ukrainian forces that facilitated the evacuation held up long enough for the 160 car convoy to safely escape Mariupol, fighting did eventually pick back up. Still, it is estimated that more cars have made it out of the city following the initial convoy which left for Zaporizhia earlier today.
