A commander among the Ukrainian soldiers at the besieged Azovstal steel plant says the complex has been under “constant fire” since early Monday.
Mykhailo Vershynin, chief of the Mariupol Patrol Police, told CNN that “after the Red Cross mission left, we have been under constant fire since the early morning. Artillery and naval artillery are firing non-stop. Air strikes are constantly being launched.”
About 100 civilians were evacuated from the plant Sunday, but a further planned evacuation for Monday did not take place.
“There are a large number of wounded here. Everything is going toward the destruction of the site. We are highly interested in getting out the wounded, we are highly interested in getting out civilians. We would like to consider the option of extraction for the military contingent,” he said.
“When I see five or six people die every day under bombs and the wounded die because they can’t get necessary medical care, and when I see what the soldiers eat — they’re already starting to faint because of hunger, I think it is necessary to address the world community,” Vershynin said.
“Today firstly there is no evacuation, and secondly there is a planned destruction. To say that an evacuation is underway is a cynical lie,” he said.
