On Wednesday, Moscow issued another call for the city's defenders to surrender. But that ultimatum passed and Ukrainian forces have stood firm, holing up in the sprawling Azovstal steel plant — also a refuge for up to 2,000 civilians
Russian/ pro-Russian armour gathers in eastern Mariupol for an assault on the Azovstal plant where fierce fighting continues. The battle between Russian / Pro Russian forces and the defending Ukrainian forces led by the Azov battalion continues in the port city of Mariupol. (Credit: Maximilian Clarke/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine: Ukraine's last defenders in devastated Mariupol are refusing to surrender, but have appealed for security guarantees with Russian forces on the brink of taking complete control of the strategically vital city.
Mariupol has been under siege almost since the invasion began, with widespread shelling laying waste to swathes of the port city and forcing most of its 450,000 people to flee.
On Wednesday, Moscow issued another call for the city's defenders to surrender.
But that ultimatum passed and Ukrainian forces have stood firm, holing up in the sprawling Azovstal steel plant — also a refuge for up to 2,000 civilians, according to an adviser to the city's mayor. AFP could not independently confirm the number.
They described a "horrible situation" in the encircled complex, reporting that the trapped civilians — mostly women and children — are without drinking water, food and fresh air.