They describe scenes of "terror," "hell," and total destruction. The reports quoting Mariupol residents who recently evacuated or escaped the Ukrainian port city are beginning to give a glimpse of the the terrifying conditions civilians experienced under Russia's weeks of intense bombardment there.
The latest: A group of more than 100 civilians who were sheltering in the maze of underground tunnels in Mariupol's Azovstal steel plant evacuated on Sunday to the Ukrainian-controlled city of Zaporizhzhia, according to Ukrainian officials.
- Others appear to have been taken to areas controlled by Russian-backed separatists, per AP. Some, meanwhile, managed to flee the city on their own.
- But hundreds of civilians are believed to still be in the steel plant, Ukraine's final foothold in the destroyed city, and tens of thousands of others remain in the city itself, AP reports.
The big picture: Russia has demanded the remaining Ukrainian fighters — believed to number about 2,000 — to surrender, though so far they have refused. Russia continued its attacks on the plant late Sunday into Monday, per CNN.
- Additional evacuations, supported by the UN and International Committee of the Red Cross, are expected Tuesday, the Mariupol City Council said on Telegram.
- While the civilian death toll in Mariupol is unknown, Ukrainian officials have said thousands may have been killed.
"We didn't see the sun for so long"
Natalia Usmanova, who evacuated the steel plant, described to Reuters the "terror" residents experienced in Mariupol. ...
- "You just can't imagine what