Ukraine accuses Russia of thwarting new evacuation push from Mariupol

KYIV (REUTERS, AFP) - A new attempt to evacuate Ukrainian civilians from war-torn Mariupol failed on Saturday (April 23), an aide to the city’s mayor said on his Telegram channel, blaming Russian forces.

The official said 200 residents of Mariupol had gathered to be evacuated, but that the Russian military told them to disperse and warned of possible shelling.

Russia and Ukraine have blamed each other for repeated failures to evacuate people from Mariupol.

Earlier on Saturday, Ukraine's  Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Kviv will make a new attempt to evacuate civilians from Mariupol, the heavily destroyed city largely controlled by Russian forces, at noon (5pm Singapore time).

"Today, we will again try to evacuate women, children and the elderly," Ms Vereshchuk said on Telegram, calling for people to gather on the motorway close to the Port City shopping centre in the city.

"If everything happens as planned, we will start the evacuation around noon."

Meanwhile, the United Nations refugee agency said Saturday that the number of Ukrainians who have fled the country since Russia’s invasion is approaching 5.2 million.

The total 5,163,686 figure is an increase of 29,939 over Thursday’s data, UNHCR said.

Some 1,128,000 Ukrainians have left during April so far, compared with 3.4 million for the whole of March. Women and children account for 90 per cent of those who fled abroad, with men aged 18 to 60 eligible for military call-up unable to leave.

The UN’s International Organisation for Migration said an additional 218,000 citizens of third countries – largely students and migrant workers – have also escaped to neighbouring countries since the February 24 invasion.

Beyond the refugees, the IOM estimates more than 7.7 million people have been displaced within Ukraine.

Three buses carrying evacuees from Mariupol arrived in Zaporizhzhia on Thursday after Ukraine cancelled evacuation attempts for three consecutive days due to a lack of agreement from the Russian side.

Vereshchuk warned later on Saturday that Moscow forces may try to organise evacuations towards Russia.

“Our corridor will go exclusively in the direction of Zaporizhzhia,” she said, calling on people “not to give in to provocations.”

On Friday evening, Ms Vereshchuk vowed Ukraine will continue to try to get civilians out of the shattered city.

"I understand how difficult it is for you. Corridors have been broken so many times. But you and I should try as many times as necessary until it works," she said on Telegram.

There has been hope for a weekend truce between Ukraine and Russia, as both countries celebrate Orthodox Easter.

Russia has declared it de facto controls Mariupol, aside from the giant Azovstal steel plant where hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers and allegedly some civilians remain holed up.

Ukraine has repeatedly called for a ceasefire to allow the civilians out of the heavily destroyed port.

The Azov battalion, a nationalist Ukrainian regiment that has led the defence of the city, posted a video this week showing civilians - including many young children - allegedly hiding on the territory of the Azovstal plant.

Several women who appeared in the footage says they have been in the factory for two months. Clothes could be seen hanging from pipes in the footage.

It was not possible to verify the video, but some of the children were the same ones that appeared in previous Azov videos, and two women in the footage said “today is April 21”.

“We want to go home and see sunlight,” said one boy.

Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded this week that the trapped Ukrainian defenders be sealed into their last stand.

European Union chief Charles Michel said that he had urged the Russian leader to allow safe passage from Mariupol in a Friday phone call.