Putin Orders Blockade of Azovstal, Mariupol's Last Stronghold... Four Humanitarian Buses Evacuate

About 2,000 Ukrainian Troops Make Last Stand at Azovstal
4 of 90 Blue Evacuation Buses Escape Mariupol... Others Unconfirmed

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Russian President Vladimir Putin has canceled plans to launch a full-scale assault on the Azovstal steel plant in the southern port city of Mariupol, where Ukrainian forces are making their last stand, and has ordered a blockade instead, major foreign media reported on the 20th (local time).

According to reports, President Putin told Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu to continue to firmly blockade Azovstal instead of assaulting it.

Earlier, Minister Shoigu reported to President Putin that Mariupol had been virtually captured, but about 2,000 Ukrainian troops were still fighting inside Azovstal.

The Azov Regiment and Ukrainian Marines defending Mariupol have been fiercely resisting for over 50 days but have become isolated in the Azovstal steel plant.

Meanwhile, as Mariupol faced the threat of falling, blue buses carrying civilians left the city. Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk posted on her social media, "Four blue buses carrying civilians left Mariupol through a humanitarian corridor yesterday."

The day before, the Ukrainian government and Russia reached a preliminary agreement to establish a humanitarian corridor to evacuate women, children, and the elderly from Mariupol. Vadym Boychenko, mayor of Mariupol, had announced that 90 buses (for 6,000 people) would head to Mariupol for civilian evacuation.

It has not been confirmed whether the remaining buses, excluding the four that left Mariupol carrying refugees, succeeded in entering Mariupol or if they managed to enter but failed to escape the city.

Mayor Boychenko stated, "About 100,000 civilians still remain in Mariupol," adding, "At least thousands have died since the Russian invasion."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.