The mayor of Mariupol in eastern Ukraine, where fierce battles with Russian troops continue, told NHK on the 30th that half of the center was occupied by Russian troops but more than 100,000 people were still left behind. "It is necessary to stop the fighting for at least two weeks and secure a safe evacuation route," he said.
"It's a very terrible situation ..."
Mayor Boychenko of Mariupol, who is currently in charge of evacuation of citizens in another city in the east, responded to an online interview with NHK on the 30th.
Mayor Boychenko said of the current situation in Mariupol: "It's a terrible situation. It's been under Russian attack for 36 days already. No water, food, electricity, heating or communication. No water is the biggest problem. We are crossing the line of humanitarian crisis, "he said, revealing the harsh conditions in the city.
On top of that, he said, "Urban warfare is always going on and 50% of the city center is occupied by Russian troops." Russian troops are intensifying the offensive to the city center.
“More than 100,000 people are left behind and Russian troops are hindering transportation and evacuation”
Mayor Boychenko also claimed that more than 100,000 people were still left behind in Mariupol, and that Russian troops were blocking the transportation and evacuation of relief supplies to the inhabitants.
The mayor said, "The Russian side is blocking the delivery of 200 tons of relief supplies prepared by the Ukrainian government. And they are waiting for the Russian side's supplies to arrive and are trying to distribute them themselves. This war crime is the United Nations. I am afraid that it will be revealed to international organizations such as the Red Cross and the Red Cross. "
He called on the international community to reach out, saying, "It is necessary to stop the fighting and secure a safe evacuation route for at least two weeks to evacuate the inhabitants."
“30,000 inhabitants have been forcibly taken out by the Russian side”
Also, regarding the information that Mariupol's citizens were being forcibly transferred to Russia, the mayor said that it was a story of a person living next door. He said, "I got on the bus as I was told, and in the morning I was in a Russian military camp." I complained that it was done.
He said, "We are trying to get in touch with the inhabitants as much as possible and work to get them back to Ukraine through the Baltic States and the embassies of Poland."
Mayor Boychenko also said, "If there are no residents of Mariupol's, there will be no Mariupol's. We have to fight to the end."