Ukraine: Russia 'Wasting Time' With Demand for Surrender

Russia had said local officials would face a 'military tribunal' if 5am deadline passed
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 21, 2022 12:06 AM CDT
Updated Mar 21, 2022 3:18 AM CDT
Russia Gave Mariupol 5am Deadline to Surrender. Ukraine Said No
Local residents carry water from the food warehouse, on the territory which is under the Government of the Donetsk People's Republic control, on the outskirts of Mariupol, Ukraine, Friday, March 18, 2022.   (AP Photo/Alexei Alexandrov)

Mariupol is still under siege from Russia, and Moscow on Sunday demanded residents of the Ukrainian city lay down their arms and raise white flags in order to be guaranteed safe passage out of the city. A deadline of 5am local time Monday was given—and not met, the Guardian reports. The city's mayor angrily rejected the demand before the deadline even came and went, cursing the Russians as he did so. And: "There can be no talk of any surrenders, laying down of arms," said Ukraine’s deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk. "We have already informed the Russian side about this. Instead of wasting time on 8 pages of letters, just open a [humanitarian] corridor."

Hours prior to Russia's demand, Russians reportedly bombed an art school in the city where 400 people were sheltering, the AP reports. The death toll is not yet clear. As for the surrender demand, Russia had promised two corridors out of Mariupol (one toward Russia and the other toward other parts of Ukraine to the west) if the demand was met, and said local officials would face a military tribunal if the demand was not met. Previous attempts at humanitarian corridors have met with only limited success as Russia has continued to bombard fleeing civilians. (More Russia-Ukraine war stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X