‘Some were too scared to leave’: the man who rescued 25 people from devastated Mariupol

Residents of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which has been under attack by Russia for weeks, have had their gas, water and energy supplies cut off. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Former project manager Roman Kruglyakov left his home town of Mariupol to stay in a nearby village at the beginning of the war. Over three days in mid March, he made three trips back to the devastated city to pick up trapped family members. They had had no phone signal for over two weeks.

Entering the place where he grew up was like entering hell, he says.