Fighting continues in Mariupol, Ukraine

There can be no talk of any surrender, laying down of arms. We have already informed the Russian side about this.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk in response to Russia’s demand for surrender in exchange for safe passage out of Mariupol.

• Late on Sunday, Russia called for Ukrainian defenders to surrender their arms by Monday morning in exchange for safe passage out of Mariupol. Ukrainian officials rejected the notion prior to Moscow’s 5 a.m. deadline.
• Mariupol continues to face intense fighting. Over the weekend, an art school sheltering about 400 people was hit. The number of casualities is unknown.
• According to Mariupol’s mayor, an estimated 100,000 people have fled the city in recent days.

Why It Matters: Russia is seeking to control Mariupol because it would unite Russian forces in eastern Ukraine with those in the south. However, Ukrainian forces remain and continue to fight.

Ukraine rejects Russian demand for surrender in Mariupol (AP News)

Russian troos ‘everywhere’ in Mariupol as art school sheltering 400 is bombed (The Washington Post)