beloved animals. announcer: this is nbc nightly news with lester holt. good evening russia s vladimir putin is declaring victory over the southern port city of mariupol, ukraine tonight, now vowing to blockade ukrainian forces still holed up in a sprawling steel factory. russia s decision to not storm the city but rather cut it off, an acknowledgement the battle for the strategic city may not be over. in fact, ukrainian fighters are claiming they re still inflicting russian losses there tonight as we have been reporting, mariupol is key to russia s hope of seizing the eastern part of the country. tonight president biden says there s no evidence the entire city has fallen, as more russian troops and equipment flood into eastern ukraine here at home president biden announced $800 million more in military aid including drones and additional artillery. erin mclaughlin reports now from kyiv.
a sprawling steel factory in mariupol is all that remains really of ukrainian forces defending the strategic-port city. the other complex is surrounded by russian troops and is being constantly shelled but rather than storm the facility, russian president vladimir putin has ordered a blockade, even a fly can t get through his words. well, hundreds of men, women, and children, and unknown number of ukrainian fighters are believed to be inside without much food or water. not very far away, the grim discovery of this. more suspected mass graves. mariupol officials estimate 20,000 city residents have died, so far. many of those bodies are now believed to have been dumped in these very long trenches you can see right at the top of your screen. and despite president putin s boast of so-called liberating mariupol, ukraine denies the city has fallen.
in jerusalem. hurling stones at israel forces who responded with tear gas. live in jerusalem ahead. now ukraine denies the port city of mariupol has fallen to russian forces. despite russia s president claiming it has been liberated. those were his words. unknown number of ukrainian civilians and soldiers are still holding out inside the sprawling steel factory. they are reported to be critically low on water as well as food. russian president vladimir putin has chosen to wait them out. and ordered a blockade around the plant that even a fly can t get through. also his words. not far away ukrainian officials say the grim discovery of suspected mass graves as to really the growing evidence of russian war crimes.
so you ll never sit this one out. new icy hot pro with pro-level contrast therapy. rise from pain. welcome back to our viewers in the united states and around the world. you are watching cnn newsroom. the last sign of life in mariupol are hold up at this hour in a sprawling steel factory. hundreds of men, women and children are surround by russian troops who are constantly shelling the facility. their own protection is unknown number of ukrainian fighters standing their ground. we have just learned ukraine
this is cnn breaking news. hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and in the united, i am michael holmes at the cnn sis center in atlanta. a sprawling steel factory in mariupol is all that remains of ukrainian forces defending the tra teenagic-port city. they are surrounded by russian troops, but have refused to surrender amid the nonstop shelling and gun battles. russian president vladimir putin has now ordered troops to impose a blockade that, quote, even a fly can t get through, rather than storm the facility. besides sheltering the ukrainian fighters, the kmeks has also been home to hundreds of men, women, and chirp children who are reportedly running out of food and water. the factory owner describes the