Russia has demanded Ukrainians in the besieged and heavily bombed city of Mariupol lay down their arms and leave the city, raising ethnic cleaning and war crime concerns.
The Ukrainian president has called Russia’s siege of the strategic port city is 'a war crime' and 'a terror that will be remembered for centuries to come'.
Mariupol has suffered one of the heaviest bombardments since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 as Russia is trying to fully take over the city due to its strategic importance.
Near 400,000 residents remain trapped in the city with no food, water and power.
Ukraine says Russia has kidnapped or deported thousands of Mariupol residents to Russia against their will to use in forced labour in remote areas, and wants to change the ethnic balance in the illegally invaded areas.
"They're being relocated to remote areas of Russia, forced to sign papers that they will work for two or three years and free in those areas," Ukrainian politician Inna Sovsun said.
The information has been confirmed in statements by the Mariupol city council.
Strategically located about 100 km from the Russian-invaded provincial capital Donetsk, Mariupol is a well-connected important industrial center and a potential land corridor from Russia to the Crimean peninsula, which Russia has already invaded and annexed from Ukraine.
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 20 March 2022
Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/4Kgqgh6q8K
🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/VU1vamog4n
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) March 20, 2022
The illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is continuing.
The map below is the latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 20 March 2022
Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/J7sKL6rgdZ
🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/vdGH636YCt
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) March 20, 2022
