Mariupol Azovstal Steel civilian human shields evacuated to Zaporozhye



“Several NATO officials hiding deep under the Metinvest B.V. factories (Azovstal brand iron and steel works) and their Azov Brigade neo-Nazi battalions of Mariupol have agreed to release some civilians from under the steelworks. These are the people who were initially rousted from their homes by Nazi fighters and taken to a school behind which were Azov brigade fighters. The civilians were told they were being rescued but any civilians mixed with warfighting soldiers are human shields,” explained Alona Adamovich, RINJ Foundation regional director, since 2014 in Eastern Ukraine.

UN Vehicles arrive marshalled and helped by Russian troops.

Video: Detailed coverage of the evacuation by UN and Civil Society.

Mariupol evacuation: Women proposed 29 April ceasefire

Alona Adamovich and some members of her RINJ nursing crew in Mariupol were able to assist in some of the evacuations. Local drivers in the past month have been conducting medical evacuations for life-threatening trauma and chronic illness to Donetsk PR and the Rostov region of Russia as well as the occasional trip to Lviv, a long way off.


Azovstal a bombed out mess Metinvest B.V. factories (Azovstal Steel) in Mariupol is a bombed out mess.
May 1, 2022
Photo Credit: Maxar Technologies.
Art/Cropping/Enhancement: Rosa Yamamoto / Feminine-Perspective Magazine

The “U.N. confirms that a safe passage operation is ongoing in Azovstal steel plant, in coordination with the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) and the parties to the conflict,” U.N. spokesperson Saviano Abreu said.

“At this point, and as the operations are underway, we will not share further details, as it could jeopardize the safety of the civilians and the convoy,” he claimed.

“Today we finally managed to start the evacuation of people from Azovstal. After many weeks of negotiations, after many attempts, various meetings, calls and proposals. There was not a day that we did not try to find a solution that would save our people,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy

“Today, for the first time in all the days of the war, this vital corridor has started working. For the first time there were two days of real ceasefire,  Zelenskyy added

“More than a hundred civilians have already been evacuated – women and children fleeing hostilities there. It is at Azovstal. Given all the complexities of the process, the first evacuees will arrive in Zaporozhye tomorrow morning. Our team will meet them there. I hope that tomorrow all the necessary conditions will be met to continue to export people from Mariupol. We plan to start at eight in the morning,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Displaced persons in Ukraine Women and children suffer most in any war. This war in Eastern Europe is no Exception. Photo Credit: Melissa Hemingway / FPMag