and yet:
City council asks residents to return to shelters and wait for further information
www.theguardian.com
Multiple reports in Western press at least, possibly all based on the Ukrainian claim, but some with reporters actually on the ground may be more credible.
oldsig
I cannot confirm any Western reporters in or around Mariupol. AP ran a story with photos from earlier in the week, noting they were taken when reporters were still there. I did not expect any to be remaining there, to be honest.
Early on, when the ceasefire was first reported as having broken down, certain major US and UK media outlets reported the Russians being at fault as fact in headlines or beginning of broadcast, but citing only Ukrainian officials later on. Others reported "according to Ukrainian sources" as the headline or lede. UN agencies in contact with local NGOs reported shelling (verified), but did not assign blame or even assign blame yet-to-be-verified, last I checked. It appears both sides were firing away, but who started it? I can't tell. It's quite possible it was difficult to tell. More recent media reports say the Ukrainian DOD claims the ceasefire was a Russian "ruse so they could regroup" which *might* indicate the Ukrainian side (likely hot-headed AZOV) fired first.
There are videos posted to social media purporting to show AZOV preventing civilians from leaving, but I have no way of knowing how reliable the accounts posting them might be, or whether they are recycled videos from years past. Ditto for the social media posts showing Ukrainian positions, including mortars, etc., on rooftops firing at the Russians, and civilians very upset with AZOV for firing from "our rooftops and from between our buildings so that Russians fire back on us." (Sadly and sickeningly, it looks like even more war porn is being posted today, including many more claiming to be videos of grossly mistreated and summarily executed POWs.)
I have been very worried about Mariupol for a number of reasons, and had my doubts about the ceasefire actually coming true, let alone holding. AZOV presence is naturally troubling. These guys would far rather go out in a blaze of glory than risk capture by the Russians. They are far from their homes (western Ukraine and foreign countries), so it's not Granny, Mom, wife and kids downstairs they endanger while firing from a rooftop. It's not even "their people". Again, perhaps I am overly humaitarian, but given the situation it seems the brave and honorable thing for the defenders of the city to do is allow the civilians to leave -- even if it means they will get killed faster and more easily, or even if it means negotiating a surrender. This valiant course might well be taken if the defending forces stationed there were all or mainly professional and at least some from the area, but with AZOV there ... I do so worry.
Mind you, I am not saying people should not defend their country, even against the odds, even sacrificing themselves if it has a chance of contributing to their country's victory. What I am saying is that in a situation like this, allowing your younger siblings and children to live to fight another day might well be the better part of valor, given that holding out to the bitter end will not change the outcome of the war or even attrit enemy forces in sufficient numbers to help your compatriots in the next battle.
The civilians in Mariupol, if what we know is even partially correct, might be between a hammer and an anvil. If so, I hope as few as possible are pulverized.
Captain iron pants is there anything out there of 5 star hotels getting hit.
Usually where all the reporters and foreign helpers? Hang out
Ah yes (wry chuckle), and besides them, those sad men who always turn up on the edges of these conflicts, loitering about the five-star bar. It's sometimes an amusing game to try to guess why they have shown up -- another aide to some minor congressperson nobody vaguely important can be ,bothered to meet with? So they try "making important connections" at the bar, and failing that, eavesdropping so they can write *something* in a report for the boss to justify the expense account.
Another flunky from some company hoping to get a subcontract from a favored contractor when the reconstruction money from Western governments starts flowing in? Another make-up-your-own-NGO guy, you know the type -- milk the kind-hearted folks back home for generous donations and feed them weekly photos of "peace meetings" or "healing sessions", paying the locals a few measly dollars to attend, hand out some old clothes, then spend the rest of the week lounging about or having adventures or polishing your halo while dreaming of eventually returning home as an ill-deserved "hero" yet hero nonetheless?
Or perhaps saddest of all, the middle-aged divorced guy who, having quit or lost his job, decided to buy a plane ticket and head for adventure in the belief those highflaluting (and sometimes high-paying) international alphabet agencies will be thrilled to hire anyone brave enough to show up, only to be told over and over again to go home and apply through proper channels, but good luck, as you don't have the right resume? On the upside, as he usually has the right color passport, he might snag himself a young hottie who will stick around until permanent residency kicks in.
The list goes on and on, of course. And then there are the activist kids with useless or half-completed degrees, plus cool slogans and graphics on their backpacks, but they don't tend to hang around the InterConti bar.
