This article was published last night by the BBC- You’ll notice the spin that kicks off the report. Russia asked the fighters to lay down their arms and exit Mariupol in order to bring in assistance to the remaining besieged civilians. As has been occurring elsewhere. Ukraine preferred to keep as many civilians as can be held. Mariupol has a great many ethnic Russians residents. Ukraine could care less if they are slaughtered by the fighters or starved because the fighter (ukrainazis) refuse to give them up- Mariupol is home of the notorious Azov battalion. Check the links below (they will take down the rabbit hole)
https://cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/mappingmilitants/profiles/azov-battalion
https://cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/mappingmilitants/profiles/azov-battalion#text_block_33831
Ethnic structure
The city is largely and traditionally Russian-speaking, while ethnically the population is divided about evenly between Ukrainians and Russians
The city is predominantly Russian speaking. From 60% to 80% of Ukrainian-language inhabitants communicate in Surzhyk, due to the large influence of Russian culture.
BBC link above:
Ukraine has rejected a Russian ultimatum offering fighters in the besieged city of Mariupol safe passage out of the port if they surrender.
Under Russia’s proposal, civilians would be allowed to leave if the city’s defenders laid down arms. ( ???)
But Ukraine has refused, saying there was no question of it surrendering the strategic port city.
Under the plans, Russian troops would have opened safe corridors out of Mariupol from 10:00 Moscow time (07:00 GMT), initially for Ukrainian troops and “foreign mercenaries” to disarm and leave the city.
After two hours, Russian forces say they would then have allowed humanitarian convoys with food, medicine and other supplies to enter the city safely, once the de-mining of the roads was complete.
In response to the offer, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said Ukraine would not stop defending Mariupol.
“There can be no question of any surrender, laying down of arms,” she was quoted by Ukrainska Pravda as saying.
At nearly every turn Ukraine has impeded the free passage of civilians. Because Ukraine needs them as human shields.
Some but not all civilians had previously been allowed out