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Russian President Vladimir Putin alone can resolve the destiny of the 100,000 civilians nonetheless trapped in Ukraine’s war-torn Mariupol, Mayor Vadym Boichenko informed Reuters on Thursday, saying that satellite tv for pc photos of a mass grave website have been proof Russians have been burying our bodies to attempt to disguise the demise toll.
Earlier Putin claimed victory within the battle for Mariupol after practically two months of siege that has led to essentially the most intense battles of the conflict and its worst humanitarian disaster. Beneath heavy bombardment, residents who didn’t flee have suffered with out electrical energy, heating or water.
“It is essential to grasp that the lives which might be nonetheless there, they’re within the fingers of only one particular person – Vladimir Putin. And all of the deaths that can occur after now will probably be on his fingers too,” Boichenko mentioned in an interview.
Putin on Thursday mentioned Russian troops had “liberated” Mariupol, which might make it the most important metropolis to fall into Russian fingers because the begin of what Moscow calls a “particular army operation.” Russia denies focusing on civilians.
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“There have been no plans to liberate the town. It was a plan of destruction,” Boichenko mentioned. He estimated that 90 p.c of the southeastern port metropolis had been broken or destroyed since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.
“Right this moment in any respect ranges, we solely speak about one factor – that we’d like a ceasefire, we’d like a full evacuation of the 100,000 Mariupol residents who’re prisoners of Russian forces and we have to free all of the people who find themselves at Azovstal.”
Whereas Russian troops now management many of the metropolis, a contingent of Ukrainian fighters are holding out within the underground bunkers of the Azovstal metal advanced, alongside tons of of civilians in determined situations, in line with Ukrainian authorities.
Putin had informed the defenders to put down their weapons and give up or die.
“The troopers will not be prepared to give up, they’re prepared to depart solely with weapons of their fingers and proceed defending our homeland, our Ukraine,” mentioned Boichenko, who grew to become mayor in 2015.
Boichenko mentioned he nonetheless had hope one thing may very well be finished to assist these trapped within the metropolis regardless of the failure of a ceasefire settlement this week below which 90 buses have been meant to evacuate about 6,000 individuals.
Ceasefire offers have repeatedly fallen by means of, with either side buying and selling blame. A lot of those that have left have fled in personal automobiles or on foot.
A small convoy was in a position to depart the town on Wednesday, reaching the Ukraine-controlled metropolis of Zaporizhzhia on Thursday.
“Right this moment was a historic occasion – 57 days of conflict, and solely the primary 4 buses left Mariupol,” Boichenko mentioned.
Town administration believes tens of hundreds of Mariupol residents have been killed because the begin of the conflict, whereas admitting the challenges of estimating an correct demise toll as combating rages.
On Thursday, a evaluate of satellite tv for pc photos by US firm Maxar Applied sciences confirmed a mass grave website simply exterior Mariupol that has expanded in current weeks to comprise greater than 200 contemporary graves.
Boichenko mentioned the pictures have been proof Russian forces have been burying our bodies to hide the dimensions of the demise toll within the metropolis. Russia denies what Ukraine says is proof of atrocities, calling them staged.
“It is a reality. They introduced them, tipped them out and buried them. That’s what they do, cynically hiding their conflict crimes in these mass graves,” Boichenko mentioned.
Learn extra:
Pentagon developed custom-made ‘Ghost drone’ for Ukraine to make use of in opposition to Russia
US says Russia’s declare of victory in Ukraine’s Mariupol is extra ‘disinformation’
Ukraine says Russia buried as much as 9,000 civilians in new mass grave close to Mariupol
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