Ukraine-Russia war LIVE – Bloodthirsty Putin offers new SURRENDER deadline in Mariupol as situation remains ‘severe’

UKRAINIAN fighters in Mariupol have been offered a fresh ultimatum to surrender despite not a single soldier accepting the offer on Tuesday. The Russian Defence Ministry has given the offer to those who are in an industrial complex in the besieged port city of Mariupol according to a Reuters report. The Russian Defence Ministry said: “Russia’s armed forces, based purely on humanitarian principles, again propose that the fighters of nationalist battalions and foreign mercenaries cease their military operations from 1400 Moscow time on 20th April and lay down arms.” A similar offer had been made on Tuesday but according to the Russian Ministry of Defence not one soldier surrendered. Russian-backed fighters are reportedly trying to storm the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol where Ukrainian troops and civilians are said to be holding out. In a post on Telegram, the Mariupol City Council said that despite the advantage of the many Russian troops in the city, they still have not been able to take Mariupol. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky says “the situation in Mariupol remains as severe as possible”. Follow our Russia-Ukraine live blog below for up-to-the-minute updates…