Russian and DPR troops have assisted the evacuation of over a hundred Ukrainian civilians who had been sheltering in basements near Mariupol’s Azov Steel plant. Reporters were also at the scene and several evacuees described their experiences during almost two months in hiding. ‘We were simply abandoned,’ says one woman, another adding that the group had no food, fresh water or medicine, despite many among them being injured.
The civilians are now being taken to a safe area, as the conflict continues between Russian and Ukrainian forces in the city.