War Ukraine - Russia, live breaking news | First civilians evacuated from besieged Azovstal steel plant

• War in Ukraine Moldova's dilemma: Russia's next military target?

• War in Ukraine Attacking Europe in 200 seconds: Russian propaganda raises the tone

• War in Ukraine Russian spy plane violates Swedish airspace

• War in Ukraine Operation rescue the orangutan Wasa on the Kharkov front

So far, efforts to evacuate hundreds of civilians from the Azovstal steel complex in the Ukrainian port of Mariupol, along with Ukrainian fighters, have been unsuccessful since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the assault to be called off but his blockade, leaving some 2,000 Ukrainians to their fate.

"Let

," said the Russian president in a television intervention.

"Twenty civilians, women and children ... have been transferred to a suitable location and we expect them to be evacuated to Zaporizhia, in territory controlled by Ukraine," said Sviatoslav Palamar, deputy commander of the Azov battalion.

For his part, Denis Pushilin, leader of the breakaway eastern Donetsk region, accused Ukrainian forces of "acting like terrorists" for allegedly preventing civilians from leaving the steel plant.

At the moment, it is unknown if the evacuation of those twenty people from Azovstal was organized by the UN and

Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky said in a video that kyiv "is doing everything to ensure that the Mariupol evacuation mission is carried out."

However, the apparent ceasefire in Mariupol came as

, especially in the disputed eastern regions, with attacks reaching as far as Odessa, a port on the Black Sea.

On the eastern front line, Russian forces have advanced slowly in some areas, supported by massive artillery use, but Ukrainian forces have also recaptured territory in recent days, notably around the city of Kharkiv.

President Zelensky, on the other hand, reported that Ukraine's defenses have destroyed more than a thousand Russian tanks, almost 200 planes and 2,500 armored fighting vehicles.

update narration

08.00

Russia relentlessly continues its attacks on Ukraine

The apparent ceasefire in Mariupol occurred at a time when

, especially in the disputed eastern regions, with attacks reaching as far as Odessa, a port on the Black Sea, AFP reports.

On the eastern front line, Russian forces have advanced slowly in some areas, supported by

, but Ukrainian forces have also recaptured territory in recent days, notably

.

The president of Ukraine, Volodímir Zelenski, on the other hand, reported that Ukraine's defenses have destroyed more than a thousand Russian tanks, almost 200 planes and 2,500 armored combat vehicles, reports Efe.

Share on Twitter

07.30

Women and children evacuated from besieged Azovstal to Zaporizhia

At least 20 civilians, including several children, were able to leave a battered steel plant in the Ukrainian port of Mariupol on Saturday, in what could be the

of the last stronghold of resistance in the Russian-controlled city, reports AFP. .

Living conditions in the network of tunnels under the steel plant, where hundreds of civilians are believed to be staying alongside Ukrainian fighters, were described as brutal.

So far efforts to evacuate civilians have been unsuccessful.

Fighters from the Ukrainian Azov battalion, which has defended the site, said 20 civilians left, possibly for the city of Zaporizhia, some 225 km to the northwest.

The Russian news agency

.

A UN-planned evacuation was underway, though it was not clear if Saturday's departure was organized by the UN or if other evacuations are expected.

Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky said in a video that kyiv "is doing everything to ensure that the Mariupol evacuation mission is carried out."

Satellite images

from the US firm Maxar, taken on Friday, show the devastation of Mariupol, with

.

Share on Twitter

See full narration

Conforms to The Trust Project criteria

Know more

• Russia

• War Ukraine Russia

• Ukraine