Odyssey through the battlefield
The convoy reached Zaporizhia after three days

05/15/2022 1:36 pm

People in Ukraine are still trying to leave particularly hard-fought areas. After several days of waiting and wandering, a car convoy with several people arrives in Zaporizhia. This protection is still a long way off for the Marines remaining in Mariupol.

A large convoy of cars and vans has safely arrived in the Ukrainian-controlled city of Zaporizhia carrying refugees from Mariupol. The refugees had already left Mariupol and made their way to Bardiansk, about 80 kilometers further to the west. From there they were safely transported in rescue vehicles to Zaporizhia, 200 km away.

Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, said earlier that the convoy consisted of between 500 and 1,000 cars, the largest evacuation operation in the city since the Russian invasion on February 24. The convoy waited more than three days to be allowed to enter Zaporizhia, Andryushchenko wrote on his Telegram channel.

In a dramatic appeal, the Ukrainian commander of the Marines remaining in Mariupol called for the evacuation of a third country first. “We appeal to all world leaders to help us,” he said in a video message on Facebook. For several days, Ukrainian soldiers and civilians have sought protection at the Mariupol steelworks. The Ukrainian government recently announced that it would do everything possible to get the port city’s defenders out of the industrial zone through talks with Russia. It was difficult, he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk announced on Saturday that talks are underway for 60 people, including wounded fighters and medical workers. “There are a few hundred wounded, they must be rescued first because the Russians will not give their consent to all at once,” she said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who launched an offensive against Ukraine on February 24, urged fighters to lay down their arms and take captives. However, the men and women who established themselves at the plant have repeatedly refused to surrender. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that influential mediators would be used for the talks. “Of course we’re doing everything we can to get everyone, every single one of our defenders out there.”