Zelensky spells out his vision of victory amid caution ahead of Russian holiday
More civilians were evacuated Friday from Azovstal Iron and Steel Works in Mariupol, both Ukrainian officials and Russian media said, although they provided different numbers.
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said that despite Russian cease-fire violations, 50 people were evacuated from the embattled steel plant where Ukrainian fighters are holding out.
“The evacuation was extremely slow. However, today we managed to extract 50 women, children and the elderly from Azovstal. Tomorrow morning we will continue the evacuation operation,” she said in a statement.
Russian state media said that 25 Ukrainian civilians were evacuated Friday. RIA Novosti reported that 12 civilians, including four children, departed on one bus, while a second bus carried 13 civilians, one of whom was a child. The buses arrived at the Russian-controlled village of Bezimenne, east of Mariupol, according to Reuters, and were reportedly accompanied by members of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations. The groups have been helping organize the evacuations.
The Washington Post could not independently verify the numbers.
Earlier in the day, the Azov Battalion said Russian forces struck a car during a cease-fire near the territory of the besieged steel plant, killing one and wounding six. The Ukrainian regiment, which has been connected with a far-right ideology, wrote in a Telegram post that “a car was hit by Russians who used [an] anti-tank guided weapon.”
