Russia on Tuesday called on the entire Ukrainian army to "lay down their arms" and the last defenders of the city of Mariupol to cease their "senseless resistance", a call which comes as Moscow seems launched in its great offensive on the is Ukrainian.

A proposed ceasefire

"Do not tempt fate, take the only correct decision, that of ceasing military operations and laying down your arms," ​​the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"We address all servicemen of the Ukrainian army and foreign mercenaries: an unenviable fate awaits you because of the cynicism of the kyiv authorities," he added.

The Russian army also promised "life saves" to Ukrainian fighters from Mariupol (southeast) still occupying the industrial site of Azovstal, if they surrendered on Tuesday.

It proposes a ceasefire at 12 noon on Tuesday (0900 GMT) so that between "2 p.m. (1100 GMT) and 4 p.m. Moscow time (1300 GMT) all Ukrainian armed units without exception and foreign mercenaries leave (Azovstal ) without weapons or ammunition”.

A corridor for the soldiers

A few hours after this request, the Russian army claimed to have opened a corridor from 11:00 GMT for the Ukrainian soldiers in Azovstal who surrendered to be able to leave.

The Russian Defense Ministry said a local ceasefire had been established to ensure a safe exit.

The Russian army also says it has set up "three humanitarian columns" in three streets located north, west and east of the Azovstal factory.

These columns, made up of around forty vehicles, including ambulances, should make it possible to “transport people” according to Moscow.

Since the siege of the strategic port began in early March, Moscow has repeatedly called on Ukrainian forces to lay down their arms.

The Ukrainian army resists

Last week, more than a thousand Ukrainian soldiers went to Mariupol but several hundred others, according to pro-Russian separatists, are still entrenched in the huge Azovstal factory where they are leading a fierce resistance.

On Tuesday, a Donetsk separatist military official, Eduard Basurin, said that "assault groups" supported by Russian artillery and aviation had "partly" launched an assault on Azovstal.

On Russian television, Basurin also assured that no civilians were in this industrial zone, contrary to what the Ukrainian fighters on the spot say.

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  • World

  • War in Ukraine

  • Russia

  • Volodymyr Zelensky

  • Vladimir Poutine

  • Moscow

  • Mariupol