Russia-Ukraine war: Around 100 civilians evacuated from Mariupol steelworks

The UN said the convoy to evacuate civilians started on Friday, travelling some 140 miles (230km) before reaching the plant in Mariupol on Saturday morning

Civil evacuees sit in a bus in an area controlled by Russian-backed separatist forces in Bezimenne, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) east of Mariupol, eastern Ukraine, Saturday, April 30, 2022. Picture: AP Photo

A long-awaited effort to evacuate people from a steel plant in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol was underway on Sunday, the United Nations said.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said in a tweet on Sunday afternoon that the first group of about 100 people was headed to Ukrainian-controlled territory.