Photo: SERGEI BOBYLEV/ITAR-TASS/IMAGO / copyright
“In the city of Mariupol in the Donetsk People’s Republic, freed from Ukrainian militants, the demining and demilitarization of the seaport was completed, and it began to operate normally,” said the spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Defense, Major General Igor Konashénkov, during his morning war party.
According to Russian media, in Mariupol, on the shores of the inland Sea of Azov, they were neutralized more of 12,000 explosive devices.
Russia announced the 21 of April the taking of Mariúpol after weeks of brutal siege and on 20 of May the complete fall of the city after the surrender of more of 2,400 Ukrainian defenders who remained at the Azovstal steelworks.
The Defense announcement of the reopening of the port of Mariupol also comes after Russia today declared its willingness to negotiate a humanitarian corridor to allow the transport of Ukrainian grain and ease the blockade of Ukrainian ports.
Estimate 22.000 dead
On the other hand, according to Petro Andriushchenko, who was an adviser to the Mariupol mayor’s office, at least 22.000 residents of that city in southeastern Ukraine died during the three months of bombardments and siege by Russian troops.
“Mariupol is now a city of ghosts,” the municipal adviser told CNN. Andriushchenko added that This death toll is based on calculations that he and other city officials have made through their contacts with other municipal workers who are still trapped in the city. However, the adviser said he believed that the actual death toll could be much higher.