A Ukrainian commander in Mariupol on Wednesday appealed directly to Elon Musk, asking the richest man in the world to intervene on behalf of those detained by Russian forces controlling the southern city.
The three-month-old war has devastated the strategic port, where Ukrainians have faced low resistance from the Azovstal steel factory after weeks of bloody fighting.
Serhiy Volyna, commander of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade, said he created a Twitter account for the sole purpose of reaching out to Musk.
“People say you come from another planet to teach people to believe in the impossible,” Volyna tweeted to Musk.
“Our planets are next to each other, as I live where it’s almost impossible to survive. Help us get out of Azovstal to an intermediary country. If not you, then who?’
He called on “every person on Earth” to make sure Musk saw his call.
Earlier this week, Kiev said more than 1,000 of its troops, many of them wounded, were left in the sprawling Azovstal factory, sheltered in the labyrinth of Soviet-era bunkers and tunnels of the Russians who now control Mariupol.
Women, children and the elderly have been evacuated from the besieged area as part of a humanitarian mission coordinated by the United Nations and the Red Cross.
Twitter, which Musk wants to buy for a $44 billion deal, has seen an explosion in users as a result of the war in Ukraine, according to the company, with people using the social media service to find news and support.
Musk, who has more than 92 million followers, has previously used the platform to challenge Russian President Vladimir Putin to a “common fight” over Ukraine.
Last month, the South African-born Tesla chief responded to a Ukrainian plea for internet service by activating his Starlink satellite broadband service and sending equipment to bring connectivity to areas hit by Russian military attacks.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.)