The Azov regiment, which defends the huge Azovstal steelworks where the last Ukrainian fighters from Mariupol are entrenched, accused Russian forces on Friday of having targeted one of its cars participating in the civilian evacuation operation, killing a soldier.
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“During the ceasefire in the territory of the Azovstal plant, a car was targeted by the Russians with an anti-tank guided missile. This car was heading towards civilians to evacuate them from the factory, ”said the regiment on Telegram messaging. “One fighter was killed and six injured,” he added.
“The enemy continues to violate all agreements and fail to respect security guarantees for the evacuation of civilians”, continues this short message.
Evacuations under the aegis of the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which began last weekend, were to continue this Friday in the immense steel complex of Azovstal, the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in the strategic port of Mariupol in the south-east of the country.
But according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, the Russian army is continuing its offensive “aiming to take control of the factory”, despite the unilateral ceasefire it announced on Wednesday evening for three days, from Thursday to Saturday.
Taking Azovstal would allow Moscow to claim full control of Mariupol, a strategic port at the southern tip of the Donbass which had a population of nearly 500,000 before the war but was devastated by two months of siege and bombardment.