New Delhi: Ukraine today rejected Russian calls to surrender the port city of Mariupol, where residents are besieged with little food, water and power and fierce fighting shows little sign of easing.
Ukraine said there is no question of surrendering the city of Mariupol after Russia called on Ukrainian forces on Sunday to lay down arms in the besieged port city.
‘There can be no question of any surrender, laying down of arms,’ the Ukrainska Pravda news portal cited Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk as saying. ‘We have already informed the Russian side about this.’
Russia said a ‘terrible humanitarian catastrophe’ was unfolding in Mariupol.
Mariupol has suffered some of the heaviest bombardments since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February.
New Zealand said on Monday it will provide Ukraine with a further NZ$5 million ($3.46 million) in funds and non-lethal military assistance including some surplus equipment.