UN: 500 evacuated from Azovstal, Mariupol

The United Nations (UN) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have successfully evacuated up to 500 people from Azovstal, Mariupol and surrounding areas through two safe corridors, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wrote on Twitter on Friday.

“I hope that continued coordination with Moscow and Kyiv will lead to more humanitarian pauses to allow civilians safe passage,” he said.

According to the Ukrainian authorities and the Mariupol Defense Forces, Russian army units resumed intensive air and ground attacks against the Ukrainian military on the territory of Azovstal on May 3.

For its part, the Russian Defense Ministry calls it not an assault, but “the suppression of an attempt by Ukrainian troops to attack.” 

Russia is urging Ukrainian fighters in Azovstal to lay down their arms and surrender.

Azovstal is the only stronghold in the city which has been fully destroyed by Russians since the beginning of invasion on February 24.