Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the evacuation of civilians trapped in a steel plant in the southeastern port city of Mariupol has begun.
Zelenskyy said on Sunday that the first group of about 100 people have already left the Azovstal plant, and is expected to meet Ukrainian officials in Zaporizhzhia in the southeast on Monday.
Several hundred civilians are believed to have sought refuge in the plant.
A spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, told NHK on Sunday that evacuations began on Saturday and were still underway.
The official declined to disclose details, citing the need to continue evacuations and ensure the safety of civilians.
The official said the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross are maintaining contact with both Ukrainian and Russian authorities involved in the operation.
Russia's Defence Ministry said on Sunday that 80 civilians, including women and children, who had been detained by what it called Ukrainian nationalists had been freed from the steel complex at the initiative of President Vladimir Putin.
After UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met with Putin in Moscow last Tuesday, the UN said they agreed on the involvement of the UN and the Red Cross in the evacuation of civilians from Mariupol.
Reuters news agency reports that after leaving the plant, a group of about 40 civilians arrived on Sunday at a temporary accommodation center in the village of Bezimenne in the Donetsk region.
Video footage from the village shows parked vehicles bearing UN symbols, and civilians walking toward the facility.
President Zelenskyy says his government will continue to work with the UN to evacuate other civilians from the steel plant.
But it remains uncertain whether the evacuations will progress smoothly amid intensified Russian attacks in eastern and southern areas of Ukraine.
Russia's Defence Ministry said on Sunday that a missile attack had destroyed a runway at a military airfield in the southern port city of Odesa.
The ministry also said Russian forces had attacked seven Ukrainian military facilities in the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions.
Zelenskyy said on Sunday that the first group of about 100 people have already left the Azovstal plant, and is expected to meet Ukrainian officials in Zaporizhzhia in the southeast on Monday.
Several hundred civilians are believed to have sought refuge in the plant.
A spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, told NHK on Sunday that evacuations began on Saturday and were still underway.
The official declined to disclose details, citing the need to continue evacuations and ensure the safety of civilians.
The official said the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross are maintaining contact with both Ukrainian and Russian authorities involved in the operation.
Russia's Defence Ministry said on Sunday that 80 civilians, including women and children, who had been detained by what it called Ukrainian nationalists had been freed from the steel complex at the initiative of President Vladimir Putin.
After UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met with Putin in Moscow last Tuesday, the UN said they agreed on the involvement of the UN and the Red Cross in the evacuation of civilians from Mariupol.
Reuters news agency reports that after leaving the plant, a group of about 40 civilians arrived on Sunday at a temporary accommodation center in the village of Bezimenne in the Donetsk region.
Video footage from the village shows parked vehicles bearing UN symbols, and civilians walking toward the facility.
President Zelenskyy says his government will continue to work with the UN to evacuate other civilians from the steel plant.
But it remains uncertain whether the evacuations will progress smoothly amid intensified Russian attacks in eastern and southern areas of Ukraine.
Russia's Defence Ministry said on Sunday that a missile attack had destroyed a runway at a military airfield in the southern port city of Odesa.
The ministry also said Russian forces had attacked seven Ukrainian military facilities in the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions.
Similar Readings (5 items)
Zelenskyy hopes evacuation from steel plant will continue
Both sides announce completion of civilian evacuations from Mariupol steelworks
Zelenskyy: 344 people were rescued from Mariupol and its suburbs
Zelenskyy asks Guterres for continued help to evacuate citizens from steel plant
Ukraine: Combat mission at Mariupol steel plant has ended
Summary
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the commencement of civilian evacuation from Mariupol's Azovstal steel plant. Around 100 civilians have left, expected to meet officials in Zaporizhzhia. About 40 civilians reached a temporary accommodation center after leaving the plant. The UN
Statistics
342
Words1
Read CountDetails
ID: 626f0f1f-bd28-4a5b-ad23-6607c0a80b98
Category ID: nhk
URL: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220502_03/
Date: May 2, 2022
Created: 2022/05/02 07:52
Updated: 2025/12/09 16:37
Last Read: 2022/05/02 07:52