The mayor of Mariupol says Russia has deported citizens

Thousands of Mariupol residents were taken without their passports to Russia, according to an assistant to the mayor. The mayor's office believes that the Ukrainian citizens are in the city of Taganrog, Russia. Russian officials said they had prepared about 200 buses for civilians from Mariupol.

The death toll in Mariupol may be much higher. About 400,000 people are trapped in the city because of Russian shelling, which has destroyed buildings and homes. The city has been under siege for weeks. Ukrainian officials say a school was bombed on Sunday, and that a maternity ward and theater were bombed recently. Thousands of people were sheltered from gunfire at the facilities.

Mariupol is an important city for trade. The fall of Mariupol could connect southern and eastern Ukraine to Russia.