Russia–Ukraine War (April 21): Mariupol Mayor Says Lives of City’s Trapped Residents Are in Putin’s Hands

A resident stands with her belongings on a street near a building burnt in the course of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, in the southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine, on April 10, 2022. Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters

The latest on the Russia–Ukraine crisis, April 21. Click here for updates from April 20.

Mariupol Mayor Says Lives of City’s Trapped Residents Are in Putin’s Hands

Russian President Vladimir Putin alone can decide the fate of the 100,000 civilians still trapped in Ukraine’s war-torn Mariupol, Mayor Vadym Boichenko told Reuters on Thursday, saying that satellite images of a mass grave site were proof Russians were burying bodies to try to hide the death toll.

Earlier Putin claimed victory in the battle for Mariupol after nearly two months of siege that has led to the most intense battles of the war and its worst humanitarian catastrophe. Under heavy bombardment, citizens who did not flee have suffered without electricity, heating or water.