ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s deputy prime minister says all women, children and older adults have been evacuated from a Mariupol steel mill long besieged by Russian forces.
“The president’s order has been carried out: All women, children and the elderly have been evacuated from Azovstal,” Iryna Veheshchuk said. “This part of the Mariupol humanitarian operation has been completed.”
She did not elaborate. The Russian news agency Tass had reported another 50 evacuated from the plant on Saturday.
Dozens of people were evacuated Friday from the Azovstal plant and handed over to representatives of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, Russian and Ukrainian officials said. The Russian military said the group of 50 included 11 children.
Russian officials and Vereshchuk had previously said the evacuation efforts would continue into the weekend. The latest evacuees followed roughly 500 other civilians who got out of the plant and city in recent days.
The Associated Press
The Associated Press
