Ukraine rejects Russian semand for surrender in Mariupol

Lviv: Ukrainian officials defiantly rejected a Russian demand that their forces in Mariupol lay down arms and raise white flags on Tuesday in exchange for safe passage out of the besieged strategic port city.

Even as Russia intensified its attempt to bombard Mariupol into surrender, its offensive in other parts of Ukraine has floundered. Western governments and analysts see the broader conflict grinding into a war of attrition, with Russia continuing to barrage cities.

The Russian Ministry of Defence said authorities in Mariupol could face a military tribunal if they sided, the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported.

Multiple attempts to evacuate residents from Mariupol and other Ukrainian cities have failed or only partly succeeded, with bombardments continuing as civilians tried to flee. Mariupol officials said at least 2,300 people have died in the siege, with some buried in mass graves, according to media repor.