Mariupol Is Almost Taken By Russia From Ukraine, Civilians Are Allowed To Leave The City

A fire is seen in a residential area in Mariupol amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, March 3, 2022, this image obtained from social media. (Twitter @AyBurlachenko via Reuters/as)

JAKARTA - Civilians were allowed to leave the Ukrainian city of Mariupol for five hours on Saturday from 12 to 17 Moscow time (16-21 WIB), Russia's RIA news agency reported.

Earlier, Russia said that its troops, which had surrounded the port city on the Sea of Azov, would stop attacks and allow civilians to pass.

Mariupol mayor Vadym Boychenko on Friday called for military assistance as the city ran out of drinking water, electricity and fuel for heating, while food supplies were also running low.

He also called for a "humanitarian corridor" to evacuate 400,000 residents after the city was bombarded by Russian forces for five days.

"We are literally being crushed," Boychenko said on television.

He described the Russian attack as "indiscriminate" because it attacked residential areas and hospitals.

"They want to eliminate Mariupol and the people of Mariupol from the face of the earth," he said.

Russia has said its military action was not designed to occupy Ukraine but to destroy its neighbor's military capabilities and capture "dangerous nationalists". Moscow denies targeting civilians.

The Ukrainian army is trying to defend Mariupol but needs sufficient support, said the deputy commander of the Azov military unit, part of the Ukrainian National Guard.

"This is the last city that prevents the formation of a land corridor from Russia to Crimea," he said on Azov's official Telegram channel, introducing himself by the nickname "Kalyna".

"Mariupol must not fall," he said.

A number of Mariupol residents had fled to the city center to escape Russian rocket attacks on the outskirts, Ivan Yermolayev said.