Russia-Ukraine crisis: Mariupol humanitarian corridors collapse amid shelling

Shelling by Russian forces of Ukraine’s key port of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov has collapsed several humanitarian corridors and made conditions seldom right for people to leave.

It was not clear Saturday how many people remained trapped in the city, which had a prewar population of 430,000. Ukrainian officials have put the number at about 100,000, but earlier this week, British defense officials said 160,000 people remained trapped in the city.

Ukrainian troops have refused to surrender the city, though much of it has been razed.

Resident Sergey Petrov said Saturday that recently two shells struck around him in quick succession, but neither exploded upon landing. He was in his garage at the time and said his mother later told him, “I was born again.”

“A shell flew in and broke up into two parts but it did not explode, looks like it did not land on the detonator but on its side,” he said.

ALSO READ:

• LIVE Russia-Ukraine crisis: Russian shelling traps residents of Mariupol

• UK PM Johnson says Putin reputation 'polluted' after Bucha killings

He added that when another shell flew in and hit the garage, “I am in shock. I don’t understand what is happening. I have a hole in my garage billowing smoke. I run away and leave everything. I come back in several hours and find another shell lying there, also unexploded.”

• Europe