Russian forces will close off Mariupol accesses and create pass system, says city hall

An aide to the mayor of Mariupol, Ukraine, said Russian forces had announced that the besieged city would be closed to entry and exit on Monday, warning that men remaining in the city would be “filtered”.

Petro Andriushchenko, an adviser to the mayor, said on Telegram on Sunday that Russian forces had begun issuing passes for movement within the city, posting a photo allegedly showing residents lining up for a ticket.

“Hundreds of citizens have to queue to get a pass, without which it will be impossible not only to circulate between the city’s neighborhoods, but also to take to the streets starting next week,” he said.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Andriushchenko said Russian forces had announced that the city would be “closed to entry/exit of all from Monday, but there will also be a ban on moving through the districts for a week.” Andriushchenko added that, according to information received from inside the city, the men in the city will be subject to “filtering” – relocated for screening by Russian forces.

THE CNN cannot independently verify the claims of Andriushchenko, who is not in Mariupol but works to collect information from people in the city, which has been under siege for a week.

Ukrainian and US officials alleged that Russian forces carried out filtering of civilians in areas under their control, biometrically tracking them, confiscating their phones and, in some cases, deporting them against their will to Russia. Mariupol City Council claimed the filtering was part of a broader Russian effort to cover up possible war crimes committed in the city.

Ukrainian forces defending the city previously rejected an ultimatum from the Russian Defense Ministry, urging Ukrainian soldiers in the city to surrender.