Mariupol, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) Turkey is willing to help evacuate injured people and dead bodies from Mariupol. However, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky indicated that this can only be achievable if Russian President Putin permits.
Hulusi Akar, the Turkish defence minister said that Ankara expects positive developments regarding the evacuation of civilians and injured people in besieged Mariupol.
Akar said at the news conference “ Ankara continues to coordinate evacuation efforts with Ukrainian and Russian authorities to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid and the evacuation of Turkish citizens and nationals”.
Turkey is among those countries which have been putting consistent efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the ongoing Russian-Ukraine war which has impacted thousands of lives.
Turkey is willing to facilitate peace talks between two neighbouring countries but has requested Russia for an urgent ceasefire and immediate requirement of humanitarian corridors.
At the request of Turkey, the Russian defence ministry has announced that Moscow has decided to open another humanitarian corridor in the city of Mariupol to evacuate civilians and foreign nationals.
The Defence Ministry said, “ Moscow will provide full assistance in the evacuation of civilians and foreign citizens by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s request”.
4th April- Mariupol could face a humanitarian disaster
Mariupol’s mayor claimed that the city is under brutal bombardment and almost on the brink of facing humanitarian catastrophe as over 100,000 people left without light, food and water for over a month.
Vadym Rodchenko insisted that residents have been trapped in the besieged city and Russian authorities have blocked access to the humanitarian convoy.
The mayor further highlighted that almost 90,000 refugees have managed to flee the besieged city but the remaining 100,000 cannot be evacuated. He appealed to the international community to come to their rescue as they are suffering big time.
Other attempts of getting supplies into the besieged city have met little or no success as both parties blame each other for the current circumstances.
30th March- Russia Bombs Red Cross building
Russian forces struck a red cross building in the devastated city of Mariupol. However, the Ukrainian authorities have indicated that the city is on the brink of suffering from a humanitarian catastrophe.
Lyudmyla Denisova, Ukrainian ombudswoman said “ the occupiers aimed at the building of the international committee of the red cross (ICRC).
An ICRC spokeswoman confirmed that the images circulating on social media of a destroyed building were a warehouse belonging to the organisation of Mariupol.
The attack came a day after ICRC urged Ukraine and Russia to agree on the delivery of aid and safe evacuation of the civilians from the city.
29th March – Nearly 5,000 died in Mariupol
Vadym Boichenko, Mariupol Mayor, claimed that almost 5,000 people have been killed in the city of Mariupol since the beginning of the Russian invasion.
According to the mayor Out of 5,000, 210 are children and numbers are increasing for the people who have already fled the city.
Vadym said 170,000 individuals are still trapped in the city and on the edge of facing the biggest humanitarian catastrophe.
Mayor also highlighted that people are short of water, medicine and food for over a month and that is what is creating chaos in the city.
Boichenko said in a statement “ The Russian Federation is playing with us. We are in the hands of the invaders”.
If Russia manages to seize Mariupol that will allow them to build a land corridor to Crimea which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
26th March- Theatre bombing killed 300 people
According to the city’s council, the Russian bombing of a theatre in the besieged Mariupol killed 300 people.
A Russian Airstrike hit the drama theatre as it was housing hundreds of displaced Ukrainian civilians, making it the deadliest single attack since the beginning of the invasion.
The City council said in a statement “ From witnesses comes information that about 300 people died In the Mariupol Drama theatre as a result of the bombing by a Russian plane.
They further added, “Up until the very last moment, one does not want to believe this horror, but the words of those who were inside the building at that time of this terrorist attack say the opposite”.
24th March- Moscow forcibly takes civilians
Ukraine accuses Moscow of taking civilians from the devastated city of Mariupol to Russia so they can use them as hostages to pressurise Ukraine to give up.
Russia is using every strategy to demoralise Ukraine so they can agree to Russia’s demands of stepping back and losing weapons.
To hit back at Russia, Volodymyr Zelensky urged Western allies to provide Ukraine with tanks, rockets and an air defence system so they can respond to the Russian forces.
Jens Stoltenberg, Nato Secretary-General said that the alliance leaders have agreed to send equipment to help protect Ukraine against Chemical attacks.
20th March- Russia Bombs Art school
Russian forces bombed a Mariupol art school which was housing hundreds of civilians since the beginning of the war. The horrific attack was followed by a Russian missile assault from the sea that killed more than 100 Ukrainian Special Forces members. The strike marked the second time in less than a week that there was an attack on a public building where Mariupol residents had taken shelter.
12th March- Russia shells mosque in Mariupol
As per the Ukraine Foreign ministry, Russian troops shelled a mosque in a Ukrainian port city that was housing civilians days after Russian airstrikes decimated a maternity hospital in Mariupol.
Emine Dzheppar, the first deputy minister of foreign affairs for Ukraine said “ at this very moment, the army is bombing the magnificent mosque which was built in the memory of Suleiman the magnificent hurrem Sultan”.
She added, “ Many adults and children including Turkish citizens are hiding from the bombardment in the mosque”.
10th March- Russia blame Ukraine for an attack on Hospital
Russian Authorities accused Ukraine of staging an attack on the Children’s hospital in the besieged Mariupol which killed three people including a child.
Igor Konashenkov, Russian defence ministry spokesman said “ The Russian aviation carried out absolutely no missions to hit targets on the ground in the Mariupol areas”.
He further added, “ the airstrike that allegedly took place in a completely staged provocation to maintain anti-Russian hype for a western Audience”.
24th February- Russia began the invasion of Ukraine
Russia launches a full-scale invasion of Ukraine from three sides and begins to advance towards Mariupol from parts of eastern Ukraine controlled by Russian backed separatists and from annexed Crimea in the south. Putin called it a special military operation to denazify and demilitarise Ukraine’s government.
