Civilians including women and children are still trapped inside Ukraine's besieged city of Mariupol and a prolonged ceasefire is needed to ensure their evacuation as Russia presses its assault, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday, APA reports citing Reuters.
After failing to capture the capital Kyiv in the early weeks of a war that has killed thousands and flattened cities, Russia has accelerated attacks on Ukraine's east and south, where the Azov Sea port of Mariupol is among its main targets.
Russia declared victory over Mariupol on April 21 after weeks of siege and shelling. The city is key to Moscow's efforts to cut Ukraine off from the Black Sea - vital for grain and metals exports - and link Russian-controlled territory.
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