Nearly 40,000 civilians evacuated from Ukraine today as some routes blocked, Zelenskyy says
Nearly 40,000 civilians were evacuated from Ukraine Thursday, though routes out of Mariupol and Volnovakha remain completely blocked, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
During his latest address from his office in Kyiv, Zelenskyy accused Russia of deliberately striking an area in the besieged eastern city of Mariupol where people were due to gather for evacuation Thursday.
“They have a clear order to hold Mariupol hostage, to torture it, to carry out constant bombardment," Zelenskyy said.
"This is outright terror. Blatant terror," he said. "We are all dealing with a terrorist state."
![PHOTO: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 10, 2022, in a video posted to YouTube.](https://s.abcnews.com/images/International/Zelenskyy-ht-er-220310_1646953891250_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg)
The president also expressed concern that Russia’s intense propaganda about biological and chemical weapons means it may be preparing to use them in Ukraine -- a sentiment recently voiced by the U.S. State Department.
"They accuse us. ... Again us! That we are allegedly developing biological weapons. Allegedly, we are preparing a chemical attack," Zelenskyy said. "This makes me really worried, because we’ve been repeatedly convinced: If you want to know Russia's plans, look at what Russia accuses others of."
He added that the public support for Ukraine in European countries has convinced him Ukraine will succeed in joining the European Union.
"Today, when I see the support of the people of each country in the squares of European capitals, I know that the Ukrainian people are already in the European Union," Zelenskyy said.
-ABC News' Patrick Reevell