Another 515 Ukrainian military refugees have arrived in Greece in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Citizens’ Protection announced on Friday. A total of 2,704 Ukrainian refugees have entered the country since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24.
Most arrived by road: 430 people through the border post Promachonas, five through the Evzoni post and 18 through other border crossings. In addition, 57 people arrived at Eleftherios Venizelos Airport and five people at Macedonia Airport in Thessaloniki.
“The arrival of Ukrainian refugees in Greece continues, but their number remains small,” said a day earlier “open TV” Minister for the Protection of Citizens Takis Theodorikakos.
“We are working closely with the Ukrainian Embassy to facilitate the arrival of all Ukrainian refugees. Their number may increase in the coming days, so we will have significant flows of visitors,” he added.
Most of the refugees arriving in Greece find their first shelter and accommodation in the homes of relatives and friends already living in the country. As Russian troops entrench themselves in southern Ukraine and lay siege to major cities, Athens continues its efforts to evacuate Greeks from Ukraine and ensure the protection of those who remain.
As we reported earlier, the operation to evacuate Greek citizens from the Mariupol region, called “Νόστος 3*”, completed successfully. The Greek Foreign Ministry reported that the convoy passed the border with Moldova.
Since Kherson has already been captured by Russian troops, the Ukrainian authorities are intensively preparing for the possible encirclement of Odessa, and in Mariupol, home to a large ethnic Greek community, there are fighting in the city.
Ukrainian media reportthat “there is no electricity, water, heating, communications or food in the city. Public utilities cannot repair water and electricity lines due to constant shelling by Russian occupiers.”
“At the same time, utilities supply fuel to generators that supply city hospitals with electricity, thereby making it possible to provide emergency medical care to all wounded residents of Mariupol,” the city council said in a statement.
The territorial units and the Armed Forces of Ukraine do not let civilians out of the city. At least about this informs RIA Novosti with reference to the man who managed to escape.
“At first they just covered themselves with a human shield, then they abandoned their people, then they began to destroy them, just iron them, just burn them, destroy the city. That’s all. Just destroy their civilians. And then they will try to tell, probably, the world media that Russia and the DPR did it,” the source said. When asked whether a corridor was provided to leave the city, he answered in the negative.
This is not the first information of this kind. Earlier, our publication was informed by similar information by residents of Mariupol, with whom we were able to contact. According to them, the Azov fighters do not let anyone out of the city, shooting those who try to do so. This information confirms TASSwith reference to the People’s Militia of the DPR.
On Thursday, Greece’s Migration Ministry released guidance for Ukrainian refugees as the country decided to grant protection status for a year and the right to work. Read more here.
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