Some Civilians Escape from Ukraine Azovstal Steel Plant
Local Resistance Forces Reveal Horrors Through Video
Video inside the Azovstal steel plant released by the Ukrainian Azov Regiment. A child is seen wearing a plastic bag instead of a diaper. Photo by Azov Regiment YouTube capture.
[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Nayeon] Some civilians have succeeded in escaping from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine, on the 30th (local time), according to major foreign media including CNN.
Sviatoslav Palamar, deputy commander of the Azov Regiment, told CNN, "We agreed on a temporary ceasefire with the Russian side for several hours and sent 20 civilian women and children to the agreed point." He added, "We will continue the civilian evacuation operation and hope that everyone will get out safely."
Currently, about 2,000 soldiers from the Marine Corps and the Azov Regiment are resisting the Russian army's attempt to occupy the Azovstal steel plant, and about 1,000 civilians are known to be taking refuge there.
Earlier on the 29th (local time), the NYT reported that the Azov Regiment was reporting on the situation inside the Azovstal steel plant. In the video, children are sleeping in a damp room wearing diapers made by taping plastic bags together, saying, "I want to go home" and "I want to see sunlight." The video also showed injured civilians, giving a glimpse of the horrific local situation.
The NYT explained that it is not certain whether the video was filmed inside the steel plant, but the background in the video resembles the steel plant, and all the plant's employees confirmed that "the video appears to have been produced there."
As the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross feared a large-scale civilian casualty inside the steel plant, they decided to seek Russia's consent to carry out a civilian evacuation operation outside, but it is known that the full-scale operation has not yet begun.
Meanwhile, Russia has occupied most of the strategic city of Mariupol on the southeastern coast of Ukraine and blocked external access, but from the 30th, it partially allowed the movement of city residents.
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