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Mariupol: Ukraine rejects Russian demand to surrender port city
Russia issued an ultimatum offering to open humanitarian corridors in exchange for the surrender of the city.
As it continued its barrage of the besieged city of Mariupol, Russia demanded that Ukrainians put down their arms and raise white flags on Monday in exchange for safe passage out of town. Ukraine angrily rejected the offer, which came hours after officials said Russian forces had bombed an art school in the port city that was sheltering some 400 people.
While the fight for control of the strategically important city remained intense, Western governments and analysts see the broader conflict shifting definitively to a war of attrition.
Russian Col. Gen. Mikhail Mizintsev said his forces would allow two corridors out of Mariupol, heading either east toward Russia or west to other parts of Ukraine. Mariupol residents were given until 5 a.m. Monday to respond to the offer. Russia didn’t say what action it would take if it was rejected.
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