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Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk mentioned that “all girls, youngsters and aged folks” have been evacuated from the Azovstal metal plant.

“The order of the president has been executed,” she mentioned. “This a part of the Mariupol humanitarian operation has been accomplished.”

In short feedback to CNN from contained in the Azovstal plant on Saturday night native time, one of many Ukrainian defenders on the complicated mentioned that an evacuation of civilians had been performed with out incident.

The feedback have been made by Mykhailo Vershynin, the chief of the Mariupol Patrol Police. He gave no particulars in regards to the quantity that had been capable of go away.

Individually, the final employees of the Ukrainian Armed Forces mentioned that Russian forces proceed to blockade the Ukrainian troops contained in the plant and have been utilizing artillery and tank fireplace as they performed assault operations.

What Russia is saying: A senior Russian official has agreed that the evacuation of civilians from the Azovstal metal plant has been accomplished.

Col. Gen. Mikhail Mizintsev, head of Russia’s Nationwide Heart for Protection Administration, mentioned that Russia had evacuated a complete of 51 civilians from Azovstal, in cooperation with the United Nations and the Crimson Cross, since Might 5. Mizintzev mentioned the tally included only one individual evacuated Saturday.

The Russian account, which was carried by the state information company TASS, appeared to match that of the Ukrainian authorities.

The full of 51 evacuees is far decrease than earlier estimates of the variety of civilians nonetheless trapped at Azovstal. As of Saturday morning native time, greater than 100 civilians — together with youngsters — have been nonetheless regarded as trapped contained in the sprawling complicated, together with a number of hundred troopers, lots of them injured. It isn’t identified what number of males in addition to the Ukrainian troopers would possibly nonetheless be within the sprawling complicated. 

One of many Ukrainian troopers nonetheless at Azovstal, Serhiy Volina, posted on Fb late Saturday native time: “Seems to be like I am in some hellish actuality present the place we army combating for all times, taking each likelihood to avoid wasting and the entire world is simply watching an attention-grabbing story!” he mentioned.

Volina mentioned he hoped for a miracle from the “greater powers” and that “this hell of a actuality present will finish.”

“Time goes by, and time is our lives!” he concluded.