© Alexander Ermochenko/ReutersSmoke rises above a plant of Azovstal Iron and Steel Works during Ukraine-Russia conflict in the southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine April 21, 2022.
"The order of the president has been done," Ukraine Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a statement, per CNN. "This part of the Mariupol humanitarian operation has been completed."
Comment: Ridiculous. The "order of the president"? Who, pray tell, was on the receiving end of this order? The Russian/DPR troops? The civilians? Or does she mean the Azov nazis in Azovstal? If so, why would they need to be ordered to allow civilians to leave, unless they were being held hostage?
According to CNN, Mariupol Patrol Police Chief Mykhailo Verhynin said the evacuation was executed "without incident," though Ukrainian forces remain inside the plant, blocked by Russian troops.
Insider reported earlier this week that Russian troops have continued attacks against the plant, the country's last stronghold, where civilians have been trapped for weeks. The attacks come after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops not to storm the steel plant out of concern for the safety of his country's forces.
"This is the case when we have to think, that is, we always have to think, and in this case even more so, about preserving the lives and health of our soldiers and officers," Putin previously said.
He added: "There is no need to climb into these catacombs and crawl underground through these industrial facilities."
Earlier this week, the International Committee of the Red Cross said that with the help of the United Nations, the organization has evacuated more than 100 people who were hiding at Azovstal.
Comment: Some videos of the evacuations:
That means the only ones who remain: Azov Nazis, troops, mercenaries, and (rumored) high-ranking foreign advisers!