ITV News joins last convoy out of Mariupol as key Ukrainian city is besieged by Russian forces
Senior International Correspondent John Irvine and his team film the moment Russian tanks turn their turrets on the last convoy out of Mariupol
An ITV News crew joined the last convoy out of Mariupol, as the city became besieged by Russian troops.
Our team was left unable to access electricity, water or fuel as one of Ukraine's key cities endured what's been described as relentless attacks.
A port city, Mariupol in the south east, has been pounded by artillery over the past week.
Our team, along with other journalists and some diplomats in the train of cars, was stopped just five miles outside of the city.
Russian tanks stopped the cars. At one point the tank turret turned towards the vehicle, soldiers knelt and aimed their rifles at the convoy.
Watch John Irvine's report from inside the city on Tuesday
The situation eventually calmed and our team was allowed to drive on after searches of the vehicle and inspection of their identification.
On the road waited "dozens" of Russian vehicles, tanks and lorries, as well as "hundreds" of troops. The filming appears to confirm reports the city has been encircled.
On Wednesday alone, the mayor of the city said hundreds of civilians had been killed by Russian shelling.
At least one teenager died in the city and two more were wounded in attacks. The boys' families told The Associated Press the attack came while they were playing soccer near a school.
The city of Kherson was also under pressure, with reports on Wednesday night it had become the first major Ukrainian city to fall under Russian control since the invasion began.
Mariupol's Mayor Vadym Boychenko said the attacks there had been relentless.
"We cannot even take the wounded from the streets, from houses and apartments today, since the shelling does not stop," he was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.
In the weeks before the invasion, ITV News Correspondent Dan Rivers reported from Mariupol - Ukraine's frontier city. Watch his report here.
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