Baghdad Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk announced today, Monday, that “Ukrainian forces will not “lay down their weapons and will not leave the besieged city of Mariupol”, in response to a deadline given by Russia earlier.

Vereshchuk told the newspaper “Ukrainskaya Pravda”, that “talking about surrender or laying down arms is out of the question. We have already informed the Russian side about this,” considering the Russian demand “deliberate manipulation and real hostage-taking.”

The Russian Defense Ministry had called on Ukraine to “lay down its weapons” and demanded a “written response” to its warning before 5: am Monday, in order to protect the population and infrastructure of the city of Mariupol.

“We ask the Kyiv authorities to be sensible and to rescind previously given instructions that obligated activists to sacrifice themselves and become Mariupol Martyrs’,” Mikhail Mizintsev, director of the Russian National Center for Defense Management, said in a briefing distributed by the Russian Defense Ministry.

“Put your weapons down,” he added, stressing that a “horrible humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding… All those who lay down their weapons have a guarantee that they can leave Mariupol safely.”

Source: National Iraqi News Agency