An evacuation of Mariupol is underway, says adviser to mayor

Mother and daughter Dina (R) and Natasha (L) from Mariupol react as they arrive in their own vehicle separate from a larger convoy expected later, at a registration and processing area for internally displaced people arriving from Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia on May 2, 2022, on the 68th day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. - Ukrainian authorities are planning to evacuate more civilians from Mariupol on May 2, 2022, after dozens were finally brought to safety following weeks trapped under heavy fire in the strategic port city's Azovstal steel complex. (Photo by Ed JONES / AFP) (Photo by ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images)

An adviser to the mayor of Mariupol has said that the evacuation of the city’s residents has begun.

“According to our information, the buses left Mariupol. According to the preliminary agreement, buses will pick up people in the village of Mangush and Berdyansk,” Petro Andriushchenko told RFE/RL, adding that people can join the column by their own transport.
“We hope that thousands of our Mariupol residents who were stuck on the way from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia … will get to Zaporizhzhia tonight or tomorrow morning.”

An evacuation from the besieged city was planned for Sunday afternoon but did not get underway.

This general evacuation is different from that involving civilians who have been trapped at the Azovstal steelworks.

As yet there is no word on whether a second phase of that evacuation will get underway Monday.