More than 2,100 residents of Ukraine's besieged port city of Mariupol have been killed since hostilities began, the local authorities said Sunday.
“As of today, 2,187 Mariupol residents have died from attacks by Russia,” the city council posted on Telegram.
It said around 100 aerial bombs have been dropped on the city. The bombing of a maternity and children's hospital wounded 17 on Wednesday and prompted international condemnation.
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The Azov Sea port city of around half a million has been under siege since early this month and is facing what Ukraine and aid agencies call a “humanitarian catastrophe”, lacking water or heating and running out of food.
“People are in a serious situation for 12 days. There is no electricity, water, or heat in the city, there is almost no mobile communication, and the last supplies of food and water are running out,” the local authorities warned.
The authorities said Wednesday that 1,207 civilians had died in the first nine days of the siege of the strategic city. They say around 400,000 people are still trapped in the city.
A convoy of aid headed for Mariupol was blocked at a Russian checkpoint on Saturday, with hopes that it would arrive Sunday.
Turkey has asked Russia to help evacuate its citizens stranded in Mariupol, Ankara's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Sunday.
Read more:
Russian forces shell mosque in Mariupol: Ukraine foreign ministry
Besieged Ukraine city of Mariupol buries dead in mass grave
Three killed, including child, in attack on Mariupol hospital: Ukraine officials
