Humanitarian Convoy Affected By Moscow Attack On Mariupol, President Zelensky: Russian Pilots Responsible

Illustration of the condition of Mariupol City, Ukraine. (Wikimedia Commons/mvs.gov.ua/Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine)

JAKARTA - It is alleged that the Russian attack in Mariupol also affected the humanitarian convoy in Mariupol, in addition to causing civilian casualties and infrastructure damage.

Ukrainian leaders accused Russia of arresting 15 rescue workers and drivers of a humanitarian convoy, trying to get much-needed food and other supplies to the port city of Mariupol, which was also under naval attack after weeks of air and ground attacks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky estimates 100.000 civilians remain in Mariupol, the site of some of the war's worst devastation, as Russia launched a nearly month-long offensive by bombarding towns and cities.

"There's nothing left there," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video speech before the Italian Parliament.

President Zelensky accused Russian troops of blocking the aid convoy despite agreeing to the route beforehand. Meanwhile, the Red Cross confirmed the humanitarian aid convoy trying to reach the city was unable to enter.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. (Wikimedia Commons/President Of Ukraine)

Meanwhile, those who managed to get out of Mariupol described the situation there as a ruined city.

"They have been bombing us for the last 20 days. For the past five days, planes have been flying over us every five seconds and dropping bombs everywhere, on residential buildings, kindergartens, art schools, everywhere," Viktoria Totsen said, who fled to Poland, reported the Associated Press.

Separately, Pavol, one of the residents who managed to get out of Mariupol three weeks ago, said the Russian attack also hit his group's vehicle which provided supplies and helped evacuate Mariupol.

In an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today, he said his group yesterday managed to help evacuate 96 people from Mariupol, citing the BBC. He said during the operation one of their vehicles was destroyed when Russian troops started shooting, although he said there were no passengers in the car, while the driver managed to get out.

The convoy's attempts to provide assistance came as Russian naval vessels joined Russia's weeks-old air and ground assault on Mariupol, US officials said.

Bombing in Mariupol City. (Wikimedia Commons/mvs.gov.ua/Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine)

A senior US defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide a Pentagon assessment, said Russian ships in the Sea of Azov added to the Mariupol shooting. The official said there were about seven Russian ships in the area, including a minesweeper and several landing craft.

President Zelensky stressed that sooner or later Russian pilots will be held accountable for the bombing at Mariupol that killed civilians.

"I want to repeat this again to all Russian pilots, they don't think about the orders they fulfill. Because killing civilians is a crime. And you will be responsible for this whether today or tomorrow, this is inevitable," he stressed in the uploaded speech. on the Ukrainian Government's Facebook page, citing CNN.

"Especially we are talking about bombers over Mariupol, and that will happen to all those who kill our civilians, in our peaceful lands," he said.

Mariupol has been the focus of a war that erupted on February 24, when Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops across the border in what he called a special military operation to demilitarize Ukraine and replace its pro-Western leadership.

The city is located on the Sea of Azov and its control will allow Russia, to link areas in the east controlled by pro-Russian separatists, with the Crimean peninsula which was annexed by Moscow in 2014.