Civilian Evacuation Begins at Ukraine Azovstal Steel Plant... "First 100 Evacuated"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Evacuation of civilians inside the Azovstal steel plant, the last stronghold in Mariupol, southern Ukraine, has reportedly begun in earnest. Although the evacuation started on humanitarian grounds through UN mediation, Russian airstrikes resumed immediately after the evacuation was confirmed, making it expectedly difficult for all remaining civilians to evacuate.

According to CNN on the 1st (local time), President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on his Twitter account that "the evacuation of civilians from Azovstal has begun," adding, "The first group of about 100 people is already heading to the controlled zone and will meet tomorrow in Zaporizhzhia." He also stated, "Our team is working with the UN to evacuate other civilians."

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also confirmed in a statement that "we are cooperating with the UN and parties to the conflict to ensure the safe evacuation of civilians," and reported, "Vehicles for evacuating civilians departed on April 29 and traveled 230 km, arriving in Mariupol on the morning of the 30th." They did not disclose specific details such as the size of the evacuation convoy, stating that it could jeopardize the evacuation operation.

The Azovstal steel plant is the last stronghold of about 2,000 Ukrainian defense forces, including the 36th Marine Brigade and the Azov Regiment, defending Mariupol. It is also known that more than 1,000 civilians have taken refuge there in addition to the Ukrainian forces.

The Mariupol City Council posted on Telegram, "There is an opportunity to evacuate to Zaporizhzhia," and urged, "Gather at the Port City Shopping Center by 4 p.m." They also emphasized, "If you have relatives or acquaintances in Mariupol, please contact them by phone, text, or any means possible."

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