Orthodox Easter, that is.

A little bit of news to relate — Zhenya got some messages from Artem and Katya 1. They’re all still alive and in the Mariupol area. Apparently they are being “processed” by occupation forces, but haven’t been deported to a filtration camp. At least that’s my understanding of Viktoria’s understanding of what she got from Zhenya, so take that third-hand news for what it’s worth. But at least they’re alive and together.

Beyond that, not a lot of positive news out of Mariupol. President Zelinsky made some mention the other day of liberating Mariupol “likely soon,” and while I don’t doubt that he means it, there haven’t been any visible actions. The bombing and shelling of the Azovstal area continues, and the Russians continue to block any attempts at humanitarian evacuation. There had been some arrangements and agreements for Saturday, but the evacuation buses were shot at, the people gathered to evacuate were dispersed from the agreed gathering point*, and later different buses were available for people to go to city in Russia instead. Unfortunately, after weeks of being deprived of the basics, some people are so desperate for food and water that they are willing to do anything.

(* Given the lack of electricity and communications in Mariupol, I’m amazed that word gets around about the evacuations. I feel bad for the people who each time gather their things and get to the meeting point, only to be turned away for whatever reason.)

Viktoria got this picture, below, the other day; it’s of the family apartment block, as seen from the courtyard side of the building. (The other side faces Mira Prospekt, one of main streets through Mariupol.) This shows the third and fourth elevator/entrances for the building. This means that Zhenya’s apartment would be off to the left, just out of frame, and V’s mother’s apartment even further to the left of that. I’m sure whomever took this picture was trying to show the pretty tulips that someone had planted were still there and blooming, despite the destruction around them. Viktoria says that, to her, this looks like a graveyard.