Russians keep pressure on Mariupol; massive convoy breaks up

MARIUPOL, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces kept up their bombardment of the port city of Mariupol on Thursday, while satellite photos appeared ... ListenSectionsU.S.NewsWorldNewsPoliticsSportsEntertainmentBusinessTechnologyHealthScienceOdditiesLifestylePhotographyVideosListenSectionsAPTopNewsU.S.NewsWorldNewsAfricaAsiaPacificAustraliaEuropeLatinAmericaMiddleEastPoliticsJoeBidenMidtermelectionsCongressSupremeCourtSportsMLBNBANHLNFLEntertainmentFilmReviewsMoviesMusicTelevisionFashionBusinessU.S.economyFinancialmarketsTechnologyHealthCOVID-19ScienceMoreClimateandenvironmentOdditiesPhotographyTravelAPFactCheckLifestyleReligionPressReleasesTrendingNewsU.S.economyWomen'sEuro2022Jan.6hearingsClimateandenvironmentRussia-UkrainewarSearchADVERTISEMENThttps://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-bf2bcfb3a499d688e3075f2d4cf54989Clicktocopyhttps://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-bf2bcfb3a499d688e3075f2d4cf54989ClicktocopyRelatedtopicsRussia-UkrainewarJoeBidenKyivForestsUnitedStatesEuropeMoscowEvacuationsEuropeanUnionWarcrimesAPTopNewsWorldNewsRussianskeeppressureonMariupol;massiveconvoybreaksupByEVGENIYMALOLETKAMarch11,2022GMT1of24AdestroyedtankisseenafterbattlesbetweenUkrainianandRussianforcesonamainroadnearBrovary,northofKyiv,Ukraine,Thursday,March10,2022.(APPhoto/FelipeDana)1of24AdestroyedtankisseenafterbattlesbetweenUkrainianandRussianforcesonamainroadnearBrovary,northofKyiv,Ukraine,Thursday,March10,2022.(APPhoto/FelipeDana)MARIUPOL,Ukraine(AP)—RussianforceskeptuptheirbombardmentoftheportcityofMariupolonThursday,whilesatellitephotosappearedtoshowthatamassiveconvoythathadbeenmiredoutsidetheUkrainiancapitalsplitupandfannedoutintotownsandforestsnearKyiv,withartillerypiecesmovedintofiringpositions.InternationalcondemnationescalatedoveranairstrikeinMariupoladayearlierthatkilledthreepeopleatamaternityhospital.WesternandUkrainianofficialscalledtheattackawarcrime.UkrainianPresidentVolodymyrZelenskyysaidtheRussianrefusaltopermitevacuationsfromtheportcityamountedto“outrightterror.”AstheWestseeksnewwaystopunishMoscow,U.S.PresidentJoeBidenplannedtoannounceFridaythattheUnitedStates,theEuropeanUnionandtheGroupofSevenleadingindustrializednationswouldmovetorevokeRussia’s“mostfavorednation”tradestatus,accordingtoasourcefamiliarwiththematterwhospokeontheconditionofanonymitytopreviewtheannouncement.ThelossofthetradestatuswouldallowtariffstobeimposedonRussianimportsandincreasetheisolationoftheRussianeconomy.ADVERTISEMENTMidtermelectionsDemocratsdelayprimaryorderdecisionuntilafter2022voteAbortionrulingpromptsvarietyofreactionsfromstatesOverturningRoev.Wadeisn'ttheendforabortionopponentsTrollingalong:Fettermangoingbigonsocialmediavs.OzMeanwhile,thehighest-leveltalksheldsincetheinvasionbegantwoweeksagoyieldednoprogress,thenumberofrefugeesfleeingthecountrytopped2.3million,andKyivbracedforanonslaught,itsmayorboastingthatthecapitalhadbecomepracticallyafortressprotectedbyarmedcivilians.SatelliteimageryfromMaxarTechnologiesshowedthat40-mile(64-kilometer)convoyofvehicles,tanksandartilleryhasbrokenupandbeenredeployed,thecompanysaid.ArmoredunitswereseenintownsneartheAntonovAirportnorthofthecity.Someofthevehicleshavemovedintoforests,Maxarreported,withtowedhowitzersnearbyinpositiontoopenfire.Theconvoyhadmassedoutsidethecityearlylastweek,butitsadvanceappearedtohavestalledamidreportsoffoodandfuelshortages.U.S.officialssaidUkrainiantroopsalsotargetedtheconvoywithanti-tankmissiles.AU.S.defenseofficialspeakingonconditionofanonymitysaidsomevehicleswereseenmovingofftheroadintothetreelineinrecentdays,buttheofficialcouldnotconfirmwhethertheconvoyhaddispersed.LiveUpdates–Russianwarplanes,artillerywidenattack,hitindustryhub–Liveupdates:Ukrainesaysshellingdamagedcancerhospital–Russia-Ukrainewar:KeythingstoknowabouttheconflictInMariupol,asouthernseaportof430,000,thesituationwasincreasinglydireascivilianstrappedinsidethecityscroungedforfoodandfuel.Morethan1,300peoplehavediedinthe10-daysiegeofthefrigidcity,saidDeputyPrimeMinisterIrynaVereshchuk.Residentshavenoheatorphoneservice,andmanyhavenoelectricity.Nighttimetemperaturesareregularlybelowfreezing,anddaytimeonesnormallyhoverjustaboveit.Bodiesarebeingburiedinmassgraves.Thestreetsarelitteredwithburned-outcars,brokenglassandsplinteredtrees.ADVERTISEMENT“TheyhaveaclearordertoholdMariupolhostage,tomockit,toconstantlybombandshellit,”Zelenskyysaidinhisnightlyvideoaddresstothenation.HesaidtheRussiansbeganatankattackrightwheretherewassupposedtobeahumanitariancorridor.OnThursday,firefighterstriedtofreeaboytrappedintherubble.Onegraspedtheboy’shand.Hiseyesblinked,buthewasotherwisestill.Itwasnotclearifhesurvived.Nearby,atamangledtruck,awomanwrappedinablueblanketshudderedatthesoundofanexplosion.Grocerystoresandpharmacieswereemptieddaysagobypeoplebreakingintogetsupplies,accordingtoalocalofficialwiththeRedCross,SachaVolkov.Ablackmarketisoperatingforvegetables,meatisunavailable,andpeoplearestealinggasolinefromcars,Volkovsaid.Placesprotectedfrombombingsarehardtofind,withbasementsreservedforwomenandchildren,hesaid.Residents,Volkovsaid,areturningononeanother:“Peoplestartedtoattackeachotherforfood.”Anexhausted-lookingAleksanderIvanovpulledacartloadedwithbagsdownanemptystreetflankedbydamagedbuildings.“Idon’thaveahomeanymore.That’swhyI’mmoving,”hesaid.“Itdoesn’texistanymore.Itwashit,byamortar.”RepeatedattemptstosendinfoodandmedicineandevacuatecivilianshavebeenthwartedbyRussianshelling,Ukrainianauthoritiessaid.“TheywanttodestroythepeopleofMariupol.Theywanttomakethemstarve,”Vereshchuksaid.“It’sawarcrime.”Alltold,some100,000peoplehavebeenevacuatedduringthepasttwodaysfromsevencitiesunderRussianblockadeinthenorthandcenterofthecountry,includingtheKyivsuburbs,Zelenskyysaid.ZelenskyytoldRussianleadersthattheinvasionwillbackfireonthemastheireconomyisstrangled.Westernsanctionshavealreadydealtasevereblow,causingtherubletoplunge,foreignbusinessestofleeandpricestorisesharply.“Youwilldefinitelybeprosecutedforcomplicityinwarcrimes,”Zelenskyysaidinavideoaddress.“Andthen,itwilldefinitelyhappen,youwillbehatedbyRussiancitizens—everyonewhomyouhavebeendeceivingconstantly,daily,formanyyearsinarow,whentheyfeeltheconsequencesofyourliesintheirwallets,intheirshrinkingpossibilities,inthestolenfutureofRussianchildren.”RussianPresidentVladimirPutindismissedsuchtalk,sayingthecountryhasenduredsanctionsbefore.″Wewillovercomethem,”hesaidatatelevisedmeetingofgovernmentofficials.Hedid,however,acknowledgethesanctionscreate“certainchallenges.”Inadditiontothosewhohavefledthecountry,millionshavebeendrivenfromtheirhomesinsideUkraine.KyivMayorVitaliKlitschkosaidabout2millionpeople,halfthepopulationofthemetropolitanarea,haveleftthecapital.“Everystreet,everyhouse…isbeingfortified,”hesaid.“Evenpeoplewhointheirlivesneverintendedtochangetheirclothes,nowtheyareinuniformwithmachinegunsintheirhands.”OnThursday,a14-year-oldgirlnamedKatyawasrecoveringattheBrovaryCentralDistrictHospitalontheoutskirtsofKyivafterherfamilywasambushedastheytriedtofleethearea.Shewasshotinthehandwhentheircarwasrakedwithgunfirefromaroadsideforest,saidhermother,whoidentifiedherselfonlyasNina.Thegirl’sfather,whodrovefranticallyfromtheambushonblown-outtires,underwentsurgery.Hiswifesaidhehadbeenshotintheheadandhadtwofingersblownoff.WesternofficialssaidRussianforceshavemadelittleprogressonthegroundinrecentdaysandareseeingheavierlossesandstifferUkrainianresistancethanMoscowapparentlyanticipated.ButPutin’sforceshaveusedairpowerandartillerytopummelUkraine’scities.Earlyintheday,theMariupolcitycouncilpostedavideoshowingaconvoyitsaidwasbringinginfoodandmedicine.Butasnightfell,itwasunclearifthosebuseshadreachedthecity.AchildwasamongthosekilledinthehospitalairstrikeWednesday.Seventeenpeoplewerealsowounded,includingwomenwaitingtogivebirth,doctors,andchildrenburiedintherubble.Imagesoftheattack,withpregnantwomencoveredindustandblood,dominatednewsreportsinmanycountries.FrenchPresidentEmmanuelMacroncalledtheattack“ashamefulandimmoralactofwar.”Britain’sArmedForcesminister,JamesHeappey,saidthatwhetherthehospitalwashitbyindiscriminatefireordeliberatelytargeted,“itisawarcrime.”U.S.VicePresidentKamalaHarris,onavisittoUkraine’sneighborPoland,backedcallsforaninternationalwar-crimesinvestigationintotheinvasion,saying,“TheeyesoftheworldareonthiswarandwhatRussiahasdoneintermsofthisaggressionandtheseatrocities.”RussianForeignMinisterSergeyLavrovdismissedconcernsaboutciviliancasualtiesas“patheticshrieks”fromRussia’senemies,anddeniedUkrainehadevenbeeninvaded.LavrovandhisUkrainiancounterpart,DmytroKuleba,heldtalksinaTurkishresortintheirfirstmeetingsincetheinvasion.Thetwosidesdiscusseda24-hourcease-firebutmadenoprogress,Kulebasaid.HesaidRussiastillwantedUkrainetosurrenderbutinsistedthatwillnothappen.LavrovsaidRussiaisreadyformorenegotiations,butheshowednosignofsofteningMoscow’sdemands.___AssociatedPressjournalistsYurasKarmanauinLviv,Ukraine,andFelipeDanaandAndrewDrakeinKyiv,Ukraine,contributedalongwithotherreportersaroundtheworld.___FollowtheAP’scoverageoftheUkrainecrisisathttps://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraineAPNEWSTopStoriesVideoContactUsAccessibilityStatementCookieSettingsDownloadAPNEWSConnectwiththedefinitivesourceforglobalandlocalnewsMorefromAPap.orgAPInsightsAPDefinitiveSourceBlogAPImagesSpotlightAPExploreAPBooksAPStylebookFollowAPTheAssociatedPressAboutContactCustomerSupportCareersTerms&ConditionsPrivacyAllcontents©copyright2022TheAssociatedPress.Allrightsreserved.