Russia demanded that all Ukrainian citizens and members of the military still occupying the besieged city of Mariupol surrender by Monday or face the possibility of a military tribunal. Ukraine quickly rejected the proposition.

“There can be no talk of any surrender, laying down of arms,” Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk told the news outlet Ukrainian Pravda. “We have already informed the Russian side about this.” 

Mariupol Mayor Piotr Andryushchenko also quickly dismissed the offer, saying in a Facebook post he didn’t need to wait until the morning deadline to respond and cursing at the Russians, according to the news agency Interfax Ukraine. 

Associated Press

Fighting was reported to be house to house in Mariupol. The BBC reports:

Around 300,000 people are believed to be trapped there with supplies running out and aid blocked from entering.Residents have endured weeks of Russian bombardment with no power or running water.

BBC

There are mounting concerns about the humanitarian situation, with Yaroslav Zhelezniak, a Ukrainian MP from Mariupol, calling it “hell on Earth”. 

Residents spend most of their time in shelters and basements as Russia continues its unrelenting attack on the city, from land, air and sea, officials say.

Pictures show a city in ruins, with entire neighbourhoods devastated. The mayor, Vadym Boychenko, estimated that over 80% of residential buildings had either been damaged or destroyed, a third of them beyond repair.

BBC

Mariupol is now a ghost city – 80% of its infrastructure is damaged or destroyed, 40% of which cannot be rebuilt, authorities say. One of the largest in the country, a beautiful, developed city razed to the ground.

— Anastasiia Lapatina (@lapatina_) March 20, 2022