Russian forces clear entire Mariupol city area of eastern Ukraine

An aerial view taken on April 12, 2022 shows the city of Mariupol. The entire Mariupol city area of eastern Ukraine has been cleared of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and foreign mercenaries, the Russian military said Saturday.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that the remnants of the resistance forces had been blocked inside the Azovstal iron and steel works plants. He said 1,464 Ukrainian servicemen surrendered during the fighting in the city.

Mariupol is witness to one of the worst violence in the Russian-Ukraine conflict, as a key port city on the Azov Sea.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry said Friday that its forces were still fighting against Russians in Mariupol after almost seven weeks since the city was besieged.

The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said that the demobilization of Ukrainian troops in Mariupol would put an end to any negotiations with Russia.

About 2,500 to 3,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed in the conflict, according to Zelensky.

In an interview with CNN, Zelensky said that 10,000 Ukrainian servicemen have been injured in the hostilities, with many of them receiving critical wounds.

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced yesterday that 13 top officials of Britain, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, have been barred from entering Russia.

ALSO READ: Russia destroys foreign supplies of missile systems in Ukraine

The ministry said this step was taken as a result of London's unbridled information and political campaign that aimed at isolating Russia internationally, creating conditions for containing our country and strangling the domestic economy.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Defense Secretary Ben Wallace are also blacklisted as well as British Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary Dominic Raab, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Defense Secretary Ben Wallace.

On Saturday, the Kiev City administration asked residents to delay their return to the capital city over security and humanitarian issues.

Russian forces have renewed their bombardment of Kiev, the city administration said in a statement on Telegram, urging people not to ignore the air raid sirens.

The statement said that traffic jams caused by the increase in number of people who return to Kiev, disrupted the delivery of humanitarian aid and the work of emergency and communal services.