Vadym Boichenko, the exiled mayor of Mariupol, gave a brief update on the situation inside the city now under Russian control.
Speaking on Friday, Boichenko said that 120,000 residents of the city are trapped, unable to escape. He added that the sanitary situation in the city is becoming critical.
“Garbage has not been taken out since February. Thousands of tons of garbage lie on the street, rotting. The sewer does not work. There is no water,” he said.
Boichenko is no longer physically in the city, but he provides updates on the conditions inside the city from sources and information he receives.
According to those sources, Russian forces have “distanced themselves from the locals because they are afraid of getting infected."
Boichenko added that he is unsure if diseases may be spreading around the city.