Ukraine orders last troops defending the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol to lay down their weapons

Ukraine on Friday ordered its last troops holed up in Mariupol’s besieged Azovstal steelworks to lay down their weapons after resistance for nearly three months. Multiple accusations of war crimes have been drawn on Russia as it was alleged to be targeting civilians in its constant shelling in Ukraine.

A maternity ward was struck by Russian shelling during the early stages of the invasion and now Ukraine has begun a reckoning for captured Russian soldiers. The first post-invasion trial of a Russian soldier for war crimes draws closer, after a 21-year-old sergeant Vadim Shishmarin admitted to killing an unarmed civilian during the early stages of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

While Ukrainian forces fought fiercely to fend off the Russian troops in Kyiv, with the help of Western military aid, both eastern Ukraine and Mariupol have been gutted by the heavy Russian shelling.

“Russian occupation forces are conducting intense fire along the entire line of contact and trying to hit artillery deep into the defences of Ukrainian troops,” Oleksandr Motzyanyk, the Ukrainian defence ministry spokesman told reporters.

There have been reports of fierce battle in the eastern region of Donbas, a Russian speaking area that has been controlled by partially pro-Russian separatists since 2014. “In Donbas, the occupiers are trying to increase pressure,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his night video address late on Thursday. “There’s hell—and that’s not an exaggeration.”

In the eastern city of Severodonetsk, 12 people have been killed and 40 others were wounded by the Russian shelling, the regional governor said. Zelenskyy described the bombardment as “brutal and absolutely pointless”, as residents cowering in basements described an unending ordeal of terror.

Source: News24, Eyewitness News, The News, Daily Times, image from Twitter

Doctor Mahlaule

Doctor Mahlaule previously worked as a Freelance Journalist at Find-it SA where he was responsible for writing news articles and sharing them on social media platforms. Doctor Mahlaule holds a Diploma in Journalism, BA in Communication Science and a BA Honours in Media Studies. Doctor began his journey as a knowledge Management and Communications Intern at Zenex Foundation. He was responsible for support in event management, social media, website maintenance, writing and brand management. On weekends Doctor attends prison ministry and shares the scriptures with inmates at Krugersdorp prison and plays soccer in the afternoon on some weekends. He has a passion for reading and writing and enjoys going out with friends and socialising in his spare time. He has a one-year-old son and is planning on getting married soon. When asked about what keeps him going, he said: “My family keeps me going. I’m the man I am because I come from a loving home. I have a very supportive family who always encourages me to keep pushing hard.”

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