Ukraine Rejects Russia’s Deadline to Surrender Mariupol

22-03-2022

Hanorah Hardy

Europe and Human Rights Researcher,

Global Human Rights Defence.

The Ukrainian government has rejected Russia’s ultimatum to surrender the city of Mariupol by 5am on Monday 21st of March. Mariupol has been held by Russian forces for almost four weeks. On Sunday night, the director of the Russian National Centre for Defence Management, Col-Gen Mikhail Mizintsev, stated: “A terrible humanitarian catastrophe has developed. All who lay down their arms are guaranteed safe passage out of Mariupol” and subsequently delivered the ultimatum saying that those who surrendered would be offered safe passage out of the city.[1] In response, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk said they would not bow to any ultimatums: “There can be no talk of any surrenders, laying down of arms. We have already informed the Russian side about this. Instead of wasting time on eight pages of letters, just open a humanitarian corridor.” [2]

It is clear Russia is playing politics with the lives of civilians in order to force Ukraine to comply. It has been reported that since Russia gained control, Mariupol has run short of food, medicine, power and water. Journalists in the city have reported on the current situation in the city in which there are bodies on the road, wrapped in blankets and buildings destroyed. [2] Both Russia and Ukraine have agreed to opening humanitarian corridors, however both have accused each other of falling short of this promise, putting the lives of innocent civilians in danger. Capturing Mariupol would help Russian forces secure a land corridor to the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014. [3]

Sources and Further Reading

[1] Farrer, M. (2022, March 21). Kyiv says ‘no question’ of surrender in Mariupol as it defies Russia’s deadline. The Guardian.https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/20/russia-sets-5am-deadline-for-ukrainian-forces-surrender-in-mariupol 

[2] Polityuk, P. (2022, March 21). Ukraine rejects ultimatums as conflict intensifies. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-refuses-surrender-mariupol-russia-warns-humanitarian-catastrophe-2022-03-21/

[3] Aljazeera (2022, March 21). Ukraine refuses to surrender besieged city of Mariupol. Aljazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/21/ukraine-refuses-to-surrender-besieged-city-of-mariupol