Mariupol: Russia Gives Surrender Deadline As Ukrainian Troops Face 'Last Days'

President Zelenskyy has admitted that the situation in Mariupol is "as severe as possible".

A view inside the Mariupol theatre, damaged during fighting. 

(Photo: AP/PTI)

A commander for Ukrainian troops in Mariupol has said that his troops were "maybe facing" their "last days, if not hours", as Russia provided a new deadline for them to surrender on Wednesday, 20 April.

Serhiy Volyna from the 36th Separate Marine Brigade claimed that Russian troops are outnumbering Ukrainian ones by 10 to 1.

"We appeal to all world leaders to help us. We ask them to use the procedure of extraction and take us to the territory of a third-party state," he pleaded in a video message.

Russia has announced that it would initiate a ceasefire on Wednesday at 11 am (GMT), even claiming that it would let Ukrainian troops surrender and then leave the city unharmed.

The Russian defence ministry also said that a previous offer was made on Tuesday, but was rejected by Ukraine, whose president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has sworn that his forces in Mariupol would "fight to the end".

While asserting that he would not bow down to ultimatums from Moscow, Zelenskyy has admitted that the situation in Mariupol was "as severe as possible" because Russian forces were blocking humanitarian aid from reaching trapped civilians.

The Azovstal steel plant is the last remaining stronghold for Ukrainian troops in the port city, and is being constantly struck by bunker-buster bombs, according to an adviser to Zelenskyy.

Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter late on Tuesday, "The world watches the murder of children online and remains silent."

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has failed to capture any of the large cities including Kyiv, forcing the former to shift all its focus to the eastern part of the country.

Click here to understand why Mariupol is so important to Russia.