| Translate This News In |
|---|
Soon after Russia’s military ministry ordered Ukrainians in Mariupol to surrender their weapons and evacuate the besieged city, Ukraine responded firmly with a resounding “no.” Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk responded to Russia by stressing that capitulation is not an option, according to the Kyiv Independent. “There can be no capitulation or disarming.” “We have already informed the Russian side of this,” she said, according to Ukrainian Pravda.
According to the letter from Russia’s Defense Ministry, a humanitarian corridor would be established only if Mariupol surrendered. Russia requested that Ukraine hand over Mariupol by 5 a.m. on March 21. Russia has promised to establish humanitarian corridors for civilians and disarmed forces.
According to Russian Col. Gen. Mikhail Mizintsev, Russian forces would provide two exits from the seaside city, one east toward Russia and one west to other parts of Ukraine. The Russian demand came just hours after Ukrainian authorities claimed Moscow’s soldiers attacked an art school that housed 400 people, according to the Associated Press.
Previous attempts to let people of Mariupol and other Ukrainian cities to depart failed or were only partially effective, with bombardments continuing as population fled.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy approved a bill extending martial law in Ukraine, the Ukrainian parliament’s press service reported on Sunday. The existing martial law was extended for 30 days, beginning on March 26.
