The fighters said via social media that both they and the Russians had used a white flag system to halt fighting in order to get civilians out
But Russian forces have intensified fire on the mill with mortars, artillery, truck-mounted rocket systems, aerial bombardment and shelling from the sea, making evacuation operations difficult.
Zelenskyy said officials were trying to find a way to evacuate them. He acknowledged the difficulty, but said:"We are not losing hope, we are not stopping. Every day we are looking for some diplomatic option that might work." But Western military analysts said Ukrainian forces were making progress in securing positions around the city. The Ukrainian military said it retook control of five villages and part of a sixth, and that Russian forces destroyed three bridges on a road northeast of the city to try to slow Ukraine's advance.
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