Moscow: Russia has called on Ukrainian forces to “immediately” lay down arms on Tuesday. They have issued a new ultimatum for the defenders of the besieged port city of Mariupol to give up their resistance.
The Russian defence ministry’s warning of laying down arms came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy late on Monday night announced the start of a new offensive by Moscow, focused on the east of the former Soviet state.
“We once again call on the Kyiv authorities to show reason and give the corresponding orders to fighters to cease their senseless resistance,” the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.
“But, understanding that they will not get such instructions and orders from the Kyiv authorities, we call on (the fighters) to voluntarily take this decision and to lay down their arms.”
The statement has not directly mentioned anything about new ground offenses in eastern Ukraine. But it also warned that Moscow had “real-time proof about terrible new crimes being prepared by the Kyiv regime”.
Ukrainian army fighting with Russian forces in the Sea of Azov port of Mariupol were in a “catastrophic situation,” the Defence Ministry stated.
“The Russian armed forces once again offer the nationalist battalions and foreign mercenaries a chance to stop all military activity and to lay down their arms, starting at noon,” it said.
They further assured survival of those who lay down their arms.
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