As many as 22,000 people have been killed in surrounded Mariupol by Russian occupants. This was reported by the head of the Donetsk region, Pavel Kirilenko, in a commentary to CNN.

"Now we are talking about 20 to 22 thousand dead in Mariupol," Kirilenko said.

According to him, the situation in the city is difficult, and counting casualties is complicated by the continuous fighting.

He also commented on the Russian chemical attack in Mariupol.

"We know that last night around midnight a drone dropped some as yet unknown explosive device, on people who were near the Mariupol metallurgical plant, three people felt bad," Kirilenko said.