Europe

Mariupol officials say nearly 2,200 people have died in 24 hours

Officials of Mariupol, Ukraine, said that nearly 2,200 people have died within the last 24 hours due to Russian attacks on their city, CNN reported

“To date, 2,187 Mariupol residents have died from attacks by Russia,” the Mariupol city council said on Sunday, according to CNN, noting that is a sharp increase of the nearly 1,600 figure previously announced. 

“The situation in Mariupol continues to be very difficult. The city has no electricity, water, heat, almost no mobile communication, is running out of food and water,” city officials said.

Mariupol officials also said that the now Russian-controlled city has suffered 22 bombing attacks in the last 24 hours. 

City officials also accused Russian forces and separatist militia of “deliberately firing on residential neighborhoods,” adding that a nearby university has been shelled by Russian forces, CNN reported. 

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to a series of international sanctions being leveled against Moscow. U.S. companies in a variety of sectors have also moved to end business with Russia.

Ukrainian citizens are fleeing the country amid the invasion, and many inside and outside Ukraine are seeking to communicate through services that are intended to ensure their privacy.

The U.N.’s refugee agency recently shared that more than two million Ukrainian citizens have fled the country since the invasion.

In a statement on Thursday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that the humanitarian situation in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol was “increasingly dire and desperate.”

“The humanitarian situation in the city of Mariupol is becoming increasingly dire and desperate. Hundreds of thousands of people have no food, water, heat, electricity, or medical care. People urgently need respite from violence and humanitarian aid,” the ICRC said.