Russia or die: Residents of Mariupol left with no choice as war rages on
India Today
According to reports, residents of Mariupol are left with two choices to leave the besieged city-- either go to Russia or die at the hands of Russian troops.
Russia-Ukraine war has left thousands dead, millions displaced and multiple cities such as Mariupol wrecked. Many Ukrainians fled the war and others spent weeks in damp basements waiting for the humanitarian corridors to open, to exit the city they once loved. In the midst of all this, Ukrainians were given a choice by Russian troops - go to Russia or die.
According to reports, more than one lakh people are still stranded in Mariupol, a strategic port city, without food, water and power. Since communication to the city has been cut off, it's nearly impossible for residents to know when it might be safe to come out of bomb shelters or how to catch evacuation buses.
According to a CNN report, rather than allowing safe passage out of the city, Russian and separatist troops are taking tens of thousands of civilians to"filtration centers" in Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) in eastern Ukraine, which Russia recognised as independent, before starting its invasion of Ukraine.
"A man with a weapon comes in at night and says it's an evacuation. People who have been in the shelter for about 20 days get out, they are put in the car and sent somewhere. In the morning, they saw that this was not Ukraine," a resident told CNN.
READ | 'She was so scared': Man who fled Ukraine's Mariupol fears granddaughter will be taken to Russian city
Andrey, a 45-year-old, said that residents were not given an option to stay in Ukraine. Andrey along with his neighbours were transported to Dokuchaevsk, a region in Donetsk. Two days later, he was driven back south to Novoazovsk and then across the border to Russia. Andrey is not alone, hundreds of civilians were allegedly sent to Russia under the pretext of 'evacuation'.
Anna, another resident, claimed that 90 women and children were directed to a "registration camp" in Ukraine's Bezimenne, along with several others. She said they were questioned by Russian troops and all details were recorded before being bused out to Russia.
