Ukrainian President Asks UN to Help: Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has asked UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for assistance in evacuating workers from the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol.
What is the situation?
Ukrainian President asks UN to help. He requested that the UN assist in transporting all of the injured from Azovstal.
Ukraine said on Wednesday that it was engaged in fierce fighting with Russian troops at the plant where Ukrainian soldiers had been holed up for weeks.
This week’s evacuations led by the UN and Red Cross, which he claims saved over 100 people trapped in Azovstal, demonstrated to the world that “international organizations can be effective,” Zelensky said.
“He expressed hope for a successful continuation of the ongoing evacuation operation,” according to the press release.
Because of the situation, Ukrainian President asks UN to help.
What are the risks of the steel plant?
People in Mariupol, which has been devastated by fighting, will be able to leave on Thursday following a Russian-announced truce. The steel plant’s supporters say they will fight until the end. Moreover, Ukrainian President asks UN to help evacuate those people who are still in Mariupol.
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On Thursday, Russia is attempting to “destroy” Ukraine’s remaining soldiers at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine said. According to the city’s last defenders, Russia has broken into the plant, which produces a lot of steel. Reason why, Ukrainian President asks UN to help.
According to a statement issued by the Ukrainian army, “Russian occupiers are concentrating their efforts on blocking and attempting to destroy Ukrainian units in the Azovstal area.”
“With the help of aircraft, Russia resumed its offensive to seize control of the plant.”
Fighting raged in other parts of eastern Ukraine, with the governor of the Donbas region, Pavlo Kyrylenko, reporting that a Russian overnight strike on the city of Kramatorsk injured at least 25 civilians. Thus, Ukrainian President asks UN to help.
Russian forces have launched an all-out assault on the Azovstal steelworks, the city of Mariupol’s last Ukrainian holdout, according to Ukrainian officials.
Ukrainian forces inside the plant are fighting “difficult, bloody battles” for the second day, according to the commander of the Azov regiment. The reason why, Ukrainian President asks UN to help.
Russian forces are said to have crossed into “the plant’s territory” in recent days.
It is estimated that 200 civilians, including children, have sought refuge inside.
The BBC could not confirm reports of a Russian attack on the steel plant.
What is being done to help the trapped workers?
President Volodymyr Zelensky has renewed his request to the United Nations for assistance in saving the lives of those who remain there.
Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko thanked Mr. Guterres for a successful UN and Red Cross-led evacuation this week that saved more than 100 people from the steelworks, but he also asked the UN to “assist in the removal of all the wounded from Azovstal.”
There were also more evacuations from other areas—deputy Ukraine’s prime minister announced on Wednesday that 344 evacuees from various south-western cities, including Mariupol, arrived in the relative safety of Zaporizhzhia—a south-eastern city still under Ukrainian control.
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Irina Vereshchuk sent a message on Telegram. “These are women, children, and the elderly from Mariupol, Manhush, Berdiansk, Tokmak, and Vasylivka,” Irina Vereshchuk explained. We will now provide them with much-needed psychological support during this trying time.”
Osnat Lubrani, the United Nations’ humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, confirmed the evacuations.
Today again, we managed to provide safe passage for civilians stranded in Mariupol & other areas, thanks to a strong @UN – @ICRC collaboration.
Many came with nothing but the clothes they had on. We will now support them in this difficult time.
Our work must, and will continue. pic.twitter.com/LiWvUiFaOf
— Osnat Lubrani (@OsnatLubrani) May 4, 2022
Russia says a cease-fire will be declared on Thursday to allow more people to be evacuated from the Azovstal plant.
The Russian military announced that routes out of the plant would be open from 08:00 to 18:00 Moscow time on May 5, 6, and 7. (05:00 to 15:00 GMT).
This is what Russia’s military has stated it will do during this period. According to an online posting, they will cease operations and relocate their units to a safe distance.
Meanwhile, new evidence suggests that Russia bombed a Mariupol theater in March, killing up to 600 people. The attack is thought to have resulted in the most deaths in a single strike since the beginning of the invasion.
The Associated Press (AP) reports that the death toll has more than doubled from the previous estimate of 300 people. The Associated Press spoke with 23 survivors, rescuers, and people who had knowledge of the theater’s use as a bomb shelter.
Russian troops have been besieging and bombarding Mariupol, which is critical to Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine, for several weeks.
Full control of the city would provide Russia with a land bridge connecting Russia, parts of the Donbas region held by Russian-backed separatists, and Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.
Despite signs that Russia is making slow progress in its efforts to invade and maintain control of Ukraine’s southern and eastern regions, the Kremlin has dismissed the notion that it will launch a full-scale war in Ukraine in the coming days as “nonsense.”
Until now, Moscow has maintained that the invasion was a “special military operation,” not a war.
Western officials believe Vladimir Putin will announce a military move during the 9 May Victory Parade.