'Inhuman' situation in Ukraine's Mariupol as Russia claims almost full controlMoscow officials now say they are in full control in Mariupol, though Ukrainian fighters remain holed up in the city's fortress-like steelworksKYIV: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said the situation in Mariupol is "inhuman" and called on the West to immediately provide heavy weapons, as Russia claimed it was in control of almost all of the strategic port city and urged its last defenders to surrender. But in the south, the devastated city of Mariupol has become a symbol of Ukraine's unexpectedly fierce resistance since Russian troops invaded the former Soviet state on February 24. Moscow officials now say they are in full control there, though Ukrainian fighters remain holed up in the city's fortress-like steelworks. "The elimination of our troops, of our men (in Mariupol) will put an end to any negotiations," Zelensky told the Ukrainska Pravda news website. Russia warned the United States this week of "unpredictable consequences" if it sends its "most sensitive" weapons systems to Ukraine.

Source: Bangkok Post April 17, 2022 13:45 UTC