Wives of Mariupol's Azovstal fighters beg Pope Francis to save their husbands

Women and children of Ukrainian soldiers trapped in the besieged steelworks in Mariupol have begged for their fathers to be allowed to live, just as Russia intensifies its bombardment of the stronghold.

Despite Russian officials saying that all civilians had now been evacuated from the smashed and cut-off fortress, an aide to the mayor of Mariupol said that there were still 100 people inside with roughly 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers.