Ukraine leaves Mariupol saying troops completed their mission

Revelations 6:3-4 “when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.

Important Takeaways:

  • Ukraine declares end to battle for Mariupol, ceding control of key port city to Russia
  • The evacuation of Ukrainian troops from the Azovstal steel plant represents an important but costly victory for Moscow.
  • Ukraine ordered soldiers defending the last pocket of Mariupol to stop fighting, effectively ceding control of the southeastern port city to Russia after a bloody, months long struggle that came to signify the brutality of the Kremlin’s war and the fortitude of Kyiv’s resistance.
  • The general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said late Monday that the garrison had “fulfilled its combat mission” and that its focus would be on saving the soldiers’ lives rather than fighting.
  • Holding up Russian troops around Mariupol “gave us the opportunity to prepare and create defensive lines” and “give a decent rebuff to the aggressor,” it said, giving the Ukrainian military “critical time to form reserves, regroup forces, and receive assistance from partners.”
  • [For Russia] Capturing Mariupol is key, because it would allow Russian forces in Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula Russia invaded and annexed in 2014, to link up with those in eastern Ukraine, where Moscow has refocused its efforts.

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Mayor of Mariupol estimates 21,000 civilians have been killed in the city since the start of the invasion

Revelations 6:3-4 “when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.

Important Takeaways:

  • Russia-Ukraine war: 21,000 civilians killed, Mayor of Mariupol estimates
  • The mayor of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol said on Tuesday the latest estimate was that about 21,000 civilian residents of the port city had been killed since the start of Russia’s invasion.
  • Poisonous substance allegedly used in Mariupol
    • A soldier from the Azov Brigade posted on Telegram what he had witnessed in the besieged city, supporting allegations that chemical substances were used in Mariupol.
    • The main symptoms they experienced were facial hyperemia (increased blood flow), high blood pressure, and dryness and inflammation of the fauces (the arched opening at the back of the mouth) and mucous membranes of the eyes.
    • “We are working urgently with partners to verify the details. Any use of such weapons would be a callous escalation in this conflict and we will hold Putin and his regime to account.”
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to meet Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Ukraine and Western sanctions, news agencies in the two countries reported. Belarus is a key staging area for Russian forces.

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Officials say 1,000 civilians take cover in theater as Russia targets it

Revelations 6:3-4 “ when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.

Important Takeaways:

  • Russia, Ukraine war photos: Rescuers pull Mariupol theater survivors from rubble as Kremlin forces wreak havoc
  • The airstrikes from Wednesday night had left a large section of the grand, 3-three story theater building in the center of Mariupol
  • Inside, hundreds of men, women and children — up to 1,000 according to some officials — had taken shelter in the basement, seeking safety amid Russia’s strangulating 3-week siege of the strategic southern port city.
  • 726 people had been killed, including 674 adults and 52 children, United Nations says
  • Meanwhile, 1,174 people were injured, including 63 kids, the office said.

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