Evacuations halted as Ukraine accuses Russia of continued bombing

A ceasefire was scheduled in the strategic Ukrainian port city of Mariupol and in Volnovakha on Saturday morning to allow for humanitarian evacuations. But the rescue effort stalled amid reports that Russian shelling was continuing.

“The Russian side does not respect the ceasefire and continues to fire on Mariupol itself and its surroundings,” said Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office.

Meanwhile, Russian media RIA Novosti told the Russian Defense Ministry that the fire was directed at Russian positions.

Later Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Ukraine’s statehood was in jeopardy. And he compared the imposition of Western sanctions against Russia to a “declaration of war”.

“But thank God we’re not there yet,” Putin said during a meeting with flight attendants.

He also said that if a third party issued a no-fly zone over Ukraine, a measure Zelensky demanded, Moscow would consider it “participation in armed conflict”. NATO had decided on Friday not to create a no-fly zone, for fear of risking a direct altercation with Russia.

In one Zoom call With U.S. lawmakers on Saturday, Zelensky issued an impassioned plea for help, calling for military aircraft and support, and an embargo on Russian oil. More than a million people have fled the country amid the fighting and thousands are believed to have died.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Comments are closed.