Russia gives Mariupol defenders another ultimatum to surrender
Moscow, Apr 20 (EFE).- Russia gave another ultimatum to Ukrainian forces at the Azovstal metallurgical plant in Mariupol to lay down their weapons Wednesday, after none surrendered within the two hours Moscow had given a day earlier.
“… Understanding the complete irresponsibility of the Kiev regime officials for the predicted sad outcome of resistance in the remaining hotbed of Mariupol, the Russian Armed Forces, once again offer the nationalist battalion fighters and foreign mercenaries to stop fighting and lay down their weapons from 14:00 ( Moscow time) on 20 April 2022,” National Defense Control Center head Col. Gen. Mikhail Mizintsev said.
The colonel general said Russia would guarantee the safety and life of those who surrender.
He said Tuesday “at 10:00 p.m. local time (7:00 p.m. GMT), no one had reached the indicated (humanitarian) corridor.”
Russia attributed the failure of its umpteenth ultimatum given to the last Ukrainian resistance in the huge steel mill, surrounded by Russian troops, to the fact that “the Kyiv authorities continue to deceive their own people, convincing them of the alleged absence of evacuation capabilities.”
Mizintsev said Ukrainian troops and the Azov battalion still holding out in the factory are “aware of the hopelessness of their situation, are ready to lay down their arms, but only on the orders of Kyiv, because in its absence, would be tried by a military court.” EFE
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