“The route is not safe”

In the southern port city of Mariupol, police were going from basement shelter to basement shelter.

 The message to those who have been trapped by days of brutal Russian shelling in the besieged city of 430,000 on the Sea of Azov was simple.

 Do not come out, terrified residents were warned, until you hear a message on the loud speakers. 

Do not try to evacuate, despite the promises by Russian forces of safe passage. 

 The warning was well founded. On the main road out – eyed as a key escape route – heavy Russian shelling continued on Monday, Ukrainian forces said. The previous day officials of the International Committee of the Red Cross had identified it as having been mined. 

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