Zelensky: More than 400 wounded Ukrainian service members blocked in Mariupol

"Unblocking the city of Mariupol is possible in several ways. There is a military path, we need to prepare for it, and we are preparing to be powerful. And here we need the help of our partners. It is difficult for us to do this on our own, we need the appropriate weapons. But we are thinking about it," President Volodymyr Zelensky said at a joint press conference with Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sánchez and Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

According to the President, the second way – diplomatic and humanitarian – can be implemented very quickly.

"We offered several options, not even directly but through intermediaries, in the format of exchange, to start at least with ‘the wounded for the wounded’. There are more than 400 wounded in this citadel. These are just military. There are also wounded civilians," Zelensky said.

He also noted that Ukraine was ready to exchange military for military.

Zelensky also expects to return the bodies of the dead from Mariupol to their families.

The President noted that there had been an attempt to do that through Turkey's mediation but it was not implemented yet.

"We’ve offered all the options to the Russians," Zelensky added.

Mariupol experiences one of the biggest humanitarian catastrophes caused by Russia's aggression. The invaders bomb unarmed residents and block the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Members of the Azov Regiment, motorized rifle brigade, and Marines continue to defend Mariupol.

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