The daily intelligence update from the British Ministry of Defense states that Mariupol appears to be a “main target of the Russian invasion”.
The besieged port city is still exposed to “powerful and arbitrary attacks”.
– The heavy fighting continues in Mariupol while Russian forces try to take the city. Mariupol is certainly a key target for the Russian invasion, as it will secure a land corridor from Russia to the occupied territory of Crimea, the Ministry of Defense wrote on Twitter.
They add that Ukrainian forces continue to resist the attacks and retain control in central areas of the city.
Escape Mariupol: – This is revenge
On Sunday, nearly 3,000 people were evacuated from the war zones in Mariupol, the Luhansk region in the east of the country, and from other cities, according to Ukrainian authorities.
The Red Cross has made repeated attempts to gain access to Mariupol after a column of buses was forced to turn around on Friday, reports BBC.
At the same time, Russia again accused Ukraine of failing to cooperate in the evacuation from the besieged city.
– Stands in the way of the Russians
Mariupol has been cordoned off by Russian forces since the beginning of March. The city and its inhabitants have been hit by massive artillery and air strikes.
Lieutenant Colonel Palle Ydstebø has previously explained to Dagbladet why Mariupol is considered to be strategically important for Putin:
– Only Mariupol stands in the way of the Russians to get a permanent land connection on to the Crimean peninsula, which is annexed by Russia. They have reasonably good control over the rest of Ukraine’s Azov coast, but Mariupol is there as a plug that prevents control of the most important communications links, he said in March.
This is how the city became “hell on earth”
Ukraine: – Recaptured several cities
At the same time, the Ukrainian defense said Monday night that their forces have recaptured several cities in the Chernihiv region and that emergency aid is on its way.
The news agency RBK Ukraina reports that the road between Chernihiv and the capital Kyiv will partially open to traffic on Monday.
The city of Chernihiv is located about 130 kilometers north of Kyiv and has been cut off from supplies in recent weeks. The mayor said on Sunday that 70 percent of the city has been destroyed after repeated Russian attacks.
In another recently recaptured area, Ukrainian forces have found hundreds of civilians killed, according to authorities. Ukraine’s attorney general says 410 dead civilians have been found in cities in the Kyiv region.
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