Still no updates or positive news to report from family/friends in Mariupol. The city remains largely cut off, with electricity, water, heat and communications not working, or barely working at best. Viktoria hasn’t heard from anyone, but there is something getting out of the area, somehow, because there are sporadic news reports and — this is my primary source for information — the Mariupol City Council continues to update their Telegram page (https://t.me/s/mariupolrada). The city website also gets updated (https://www.0629.com.ua/), so clearly there is some electricity and internet or mobile communications working, but apparently there’s not that much.

The most, and perhaps only, hopeful takeaway from yesterdays “peace” talks was the agreement that “green corridors” — safe passage from people to leave a war zone, or for humanitarian aid and supplies to be brought in — are probably needed. The Ukrainian side wanted a full cease-fire but were willing to go with the green corridors for now. Reports on the Russian response painted them as being fairly lackluster about it. A “well, I guess we oughta…” sort of response.

If accurate — and I have no reason to think not — it would explain why it’s taking forever to get something arranged for Mariupol. (Also this.) Sure, the Russians aren’t in any hurry; they’re warm and safe and able to shell soccer fields and kill teenagers at a distance. Why should they worry about making things nice for a bunch of scary women, children and elderly huddled in dark, cold basements? There’s already ample (and ever growing) evidence of war crimes; this should be part of that list.