'Inhuman' Situation in Ukraine's Mariupol as Russia Claims Almost Full Control

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said the situation in Mariupol is "inhuman" and called on the West to immediately provide heavy weapons, as Russia claimed it was in control of almost all of the strategic port city and urged its last defenders to surrender.

Moscow said Ukrainian forces in the city must lay down their arms by Sunday, after weeks of relative calm in the capital Kyiv were brought to an end by renewed Russian airstrikes.

Austria's chancellor, the first European leader to meet with Vladimir Putin in person since the invasion began, said he thought the Russian president "believes he is winning the war" in Ukraine.

But in the south, the devastated city of Mariupol has become a symbol of Ukraine's unexpectedly fierce resistance since Russian troops invaded the former Soviet state on February 24.

Moscow officials now say they are in full control there, though Ukrainian fighters remain holed up in the city's fortress-like steelworks.

"The situation in Mariupol remains as severe as possible. Just inhuman," President Zelensky said in a video address.

"Russia is deliberately trying to destroy everyone who is there."

Ukraine's Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov said the city was on "the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe" and warned the country was compiling evidence of alleged Russian atrocities there.

"We will hand everything over to The Hague. There will be no impunity," he said.

Moscow Saturday issued an ultimatum to the fighters, urging them to lay down their arms by 6:00 am Moscow time (0300 GMT) and to evacuate the premises before 13:00 pm.

Russia's military focus now seems to be on seizing the eastern Donbas region, where Russian-backed separatists control the Donetsk and Lugansk areas

Russia's military focus now seems to be on seizing the eastern Donbas region, where Russian-backed separatists control the Donetsk and Lugansk areas RONALDO SCHEMIDT AFP

But with the Russian forces closing in, Zelensky issued his own warning.

"The elimination of our troops, of our men (in Mariupol) will put an end to any negotiations," Zelensky told the Ukrainska Pravda news website.

"We don't negotiate neither our territories nor our people."