After weeks of hiding from Russian bombardment in subterranean bunkers, the first evacuees from the wreckage of Mariupol’s Azovstal steel factory were due to arrive in the Ukrainian-controlled city of Zaporizhzhia later on Monday.

As Moscow seized control of Mariupol, the massive industrial complex in the Sea of Azov port city that has been destroyed by weeks of Russian bombardment has served as a haven for both residents and Ukrainian military.

On April 29, the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross launched a coordinated effort with Ukraine and Russia to remove women, children, and the elderly from the steel complex.

After making their own way across Russian-occupied territory, several civilian refugees arrived in Zaporizhzhia on Monday morning.