Ukraine The Red Cross announces the detention of its team west of the city of Mariupol

The Red Cross announced Monday that its team has been detained by the police in an area controlled by Russian forces. The Red Cross team is trying to reach the besieged city of Mariupol and evacuate some of its residents who suffer from a severe shortage of basic supplies.

An ICRC team was arrested while trying to reach the Ukrainian city of Mariupol on Monday to evacuate civilians, and is now being held in the nearby town of Manush, ICRC spokesman Jason Strazioso said.

"A team from the International Committee of the Red Cross is being held in the town of Manosh, 20 kilometers west of Mariupol," Strazis said.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk said the Red Cross team was being held by "the occupation authorities".

Strazioso declined to reveal details of who was holding the team, saying only that it was the police. He added: "This is not a hostage situation" and that the International Committee of the Red Cross is talking with all parties to clarify the situation and seek the release of the team.

The Red Cross team is trying to reach the besieged city of Mariupol and evacuate some of its residents who are suffering from an acute shortage of basic supplies. This is the team's fourth attempt since Friday.

The ICRC withdrew its team from the coastal city in mid-March after they ran out of aid.

Russian forces have besieged Mariupol for more than a month, as the population defends itself under conditions condemned by the international community.

And the mayor of Mariupol revealed Monday that 90 percent of the city has been destroyed and that about 130,000 people are still trapped inside, amid constant Russian bombing.

On Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry said it had opened a humanitarian corridor in Mariupol to evacuate civilians, at the request of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.