The besieged southern port city of Mariupol came under heavy fire from Russian forces shortly after Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine.
Nearly 5,000 people have been killed and buildings across the city destroyed, according to the mayor.
Mariupol’s capture could enable Russia to create a land bridge between two separatist, self-proclaimed people’s republics in Donbas and the Crimea region which Russia seized and annexed in 2014.
This would give Russia control of the Ukrainian coast on the Sea of Azov and cut Ukraine off from the Black Sea, after Russian forces captured the port of Kherson.
Al Jazeera looks at the major events that marked the continuing siege of Mariupol, which has trapped tens of thousands of people with dwindling supplies:
February 24:
Russia launches a full-scale invasion, which it describes as a “special operation” to “denazify” Ukraine. Moscow’s troops advance towards Mariupol from parts of eastern Ukraine controlled by Russia-backed separatists.
March 1:
Mayor Vadym Boychenko says the city has been under shelling for five days. The next day, he warns Mariupol has been hit non-stop for 14 hours.
March 2:
Boychenko says the city lost power and has no running water or gas supplies. Russian forces are blocking the exit of civilians and local authorities later pinpoint this day as the start of Russia’s blockade. Russia reiterates that it does not target civilians.
March 4:
The city is running out of food, the mayor says. He appeals for military assistance and for a humanitarian corridor to be created to evacuate some of the city’s 400,000 residents.
March 5:
Russia and Ukraine agree to a partial ceasefire to open a humanitarian corridor for several hours. The ceasefire collapses, with both sides blaming each other.
March 9:
A Russian air raid hits a maternity hospital. Local authorities say three people are killed and later report the death of another pregnant woman. Russia says, without producing evidence, that the hospital had no patients but photos from the scene suggest otherwise.
March 13:
The city council says the last supplies of food and water are running out.
March 14:
A humanitarian corridor is agreed upon with Russia and the first convoy of evacuees manages to leave Mariupol in at least 160 private cars.
March 15:
By mid-afternoon 2,000 civilian cars have left the city.
March 16:
Local authorities say Russian bombs hit Mariupol’s Drama Theatre while hundreds were sheltering there. The mayor’s office estimates on March 25 that the death toll was about 300. Russia denies bombing the theatre.
March 18:
Russia says its forces have entered the centre of Mariupol. Boychenko says fighting in the city is “really active”.
March 19:
Russian forces push deeper into the city and heavy fighting shuts down a major steel plant.
Ukraine accuses Russia of illegally deporting thousands of Mariupol residents to Russia under the guise of evacuation after Russian media reported that “evacuation buses” were carrying hundreds of civilians from Mariupol to Russia.
March 20:
Ukrainian authorities say Russian forces bombed a school in Mariupol where hundreds of people, including women and children, had taken refuge. About 400 women, children and elderly people were estimated to have been sheltering there.
March 21:
Moscow sets an ultimatum for Ukrainian forces in Mariupol to lay down their arms, saying they will be given safe passage out of the city. Ukraine rejects the proposal, saying there can be no question of surrender.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, says Russia’s attack on Mariupol is “a massive war crime”.
March 24:
Mariupol authorities say up to 15,000 have been illegally deported.
March 25:
Ukrainian authorities claim about 300 people were killed in the attack on Mariupol’s drama theatre.
March 28:
The office of Boychenko estimates that nearly 5,000 people have been killed in Mariupol since the start of the siege. It also estimates that 90 percent of the buildings have been damaged and 40 percent destroyed. About 290,000 people have left the city and about 170,000 are still trapped, it says.
March 29:
The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence assesses Mariupol’s city centre to still be under Ukrainian control. Russia says at talks in Turkey that it will scale down military operations around the capital Kyiv and Chernihiv in northern Ukraine but makes no mention of Mariupol.
March 30:
A Ukrainian presidential adviser says street fighting is heavy in Mariupol and half the city is in the hands of Russian forces. Russia announced a ceasefire for the next day to evacuate civilians.
March 31:
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says it is on its way to Mariupol with aid supplies and stands ready to evacuate civilians from the city.
