 "Local residents stand in front of a residential building which was damaged in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol | Photo: Reuters")
The United Nations doggedly sought to broker an evacuation of civilians from the increasingly hellish ruins of Mariupol on Friday, while Ukraine accused Russia of showing its contempt for the world organisation by bombing Kyiv while the UN leader was visiting the capital.
The mayor of Mariupol said the situation inside the steel plant that has become the southern port city's last stronghold is dire, and citizens are begging to get saved." Mayor Vadym Boichenko added: "There, it's not a matter of days. It's a matter of hours.
Ukraine's forces, meanwhile, fought to hold off Russian attempts to advance in the south and east, where the Kremlin is seeking to capture the country's industrial Donbas region. Artillery fire, sirens and explosions could be heard in some cities.
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