The first group of civilians, who had been trapped for weeks at the Mariupol steel plant, were taken to an area under Kiev’s control. The United Nations has expressed concern over the 4.5 million tonnes of wheat being detained in Ukrainian ports for weeks amid Russian threats to seize assets of foreign companies.
C. Rubini CTC, Vatican News
With the cooperation of the Red Cross and other parties, the United Nations was able to evacuate 100 civilians from the Azovstall steel plant in Mariupol. They were then taken to an area controlled by the Kyiv government. But local sources estimate that there are still at least 500 civilians and at least 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers at the port city’s steel plant, which is resisting Russian surrender.
New bombing in the east
Meanwhile, Russian aggression continues in the east. A Russian bomb blast near the Kharkiv region has killed at least three civilians and injured eight others. In addition, four other civilians were killed in a bomb blast in the Donetsk region.
In the diplomatic arena, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited Kyiv. There they met with Ukrainian President Selensky. At the same time, in response to similar actions taken by Western countries once morest Russia, the President of the Duma in Moscow, Volodymyr, ordered the confiscation of shares and assets of countries not friendly to them.
Excitement regarding Ukrainian wheat
In a televised interview, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov reiterated that the attack would go beyond the pre-arranged May 9 and that their aim was not to overthrow the current Ukrainian government. 4.5 million tons of grain are still stored in Ukrainian ports. The United Nations has warned that this might lead to a sharp rise in food prices around the world.
