The Azovstal plant is where the last defenders of Mariupol are making their last stand. Up to 2,500 people are being bombed and starved. Russia refuses to let the Red Cross anywhere near the city. And will not allow the wounded medical treatment.
The Russian military sent a message days ago telling the defenders of Mariupol to” Surrender or die.” But given Putin’s behavior so far, the Ukrainians expect to be killed, anyway. So, surrender is not an option.
Amid shrinking expectations that they can survive, their captors have sealed the complex to make certain that no one escapes.
The ruins of the old steel factory are now being called the Alamo of Ukraine.
Evidence of widespread rape and sexual mutilation is surfacing. One young victim, who is just 15 is one of the survivors telling their stories. Several female bodies in mass graves show evidence of horrific sex crimes, as well.
The United Nations Human Rights Office describes the Russian atrocities and human rights violations in Ukraine as a “horror story of violations against civilians” that continues.
