Lidia Kelly and David Ljunggren

(Reuters) – The defense ministry of Russia has instructed the Ukrainian forces fighting in the south port city of Mariupol, to surrender their weapons starting at 6 a.m. Moscow (0300 GMT) Sunday to spare their lives.

Russia claimed earlier that it had evacuated Mariupol from its forces. This was the scene of some of the worst fighting in the conflict and the most severe humanitarian disasters. This would mark the fall of the largest city since the February 24th invasion.

Moscow claimed that the Azovstal steelworks is blocking the Azovstal steelworks from the last fighters of Mariupol, which it claims are both Ukrainian and foreign.

According to a defence ministry statement, “The Russian Armed Forces, taking into account the dire situation at Azovstal, metallurgical, plant,” and guided by humane principles, offer militants of foreign mercenaries and battalions from 06:00 Moscow time on April 17, 2022. To stop hostilities, they will lay down their arms.”

“All those who give up their arms will have their lives spared.”

According to the deal that Russia proposed on Saturday, all remaining Azovstal plant defenders would be allowed to leave the Azovstal plant between 6 and 1 Moscow time without weapons or ammunition.

Flags would indicate the start of surrender. The ministry stated: “From Russia – red, from Ukraine – white. Around the entire perimeter of Azovstal.”

Kyiv didn’t immediately react to this offer.

Volodymyr Zeleskiy, President of Ukraine accused Russia of deliberately trying to demolish everyone in Mariupol. His government said it was still in touch with the defenders. He did not respond to Moscow’s assertion that Ukrainian forces are no longer present in urban areas.

Zelenskiy stated in his nightly video that he wanted to make sure that he was heard correctly.

This is a very hard problem to solve. “Until now there was no 100% feasible solution.”

Mariupol has always been an enemy due to its strategically located on the Azov Sea coast. It is located on the border between Crimea, Russia’s annexed peninsula, to the west and Donetsk, to the east. This region has been controlled partially by pro-Russian separatists from 2014.

According to the Russian defense ministry, 168,000 Mariupol residents have been evacuated so far. Ukraine claims that many have been forced to leave.

Both sides blame each other for repeatedly failing to make efforts to evacuate the civilians trapped in Mariupol, some of which were made possible by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Russia would have the option of capturing Mariupol and building a land bridge across Crimea to control all of the north shore of Sea of Azov.