Russian troops started shelling and bombing the Azovstal steel plant in Ukraine's southern port city of Mariupol after Ukrainian soldiers used a ceasefire to take move into firing positions there, the RIA news agency quoted the Russian Defence Ministry as saying on Tuesday.
"A ceasefire was declared, civilians had to be evacuated from Azovstal territory. Azov and Ukrainian servicemen, who are stationed on the plant, took advantage of it. They came out of the basement, they took up firing positions on the territory and in the factory buildings," RIA cited ministry as saying.
"Now units of the Russian army and the Donetsk People's Republic, using artillery and aviation, are beginning to destroy these firing positions," the ministry said.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Jon Boyle)
