Russia declares complete occupation of Ukraine’s Mariupol

Mariupol is a port city with an important strategic position in the region Donbass in the Black Sea. However, Minister Shoigu said that more than 2,000 fighters loyal to Ukraine are still entrenched at the Azovstal steel plant in the city – RT reported.

President Vladimir Putin called Minister Shoigu’s plan to attack the plant “unwise”, instead ordering a “safe encirclement” of the area and extending the ultimatum to those entrenched in the factory. This last stronghold has been cut off from its supply sources.

When Mariupol was besieged in early March, some 8,100 Ukrainian soldiers, foreign mercenaries, and nationalist fighters – including members of the famous Nazi Azov Battalion – remained by the side. in, as estimated by Minister Shoigu.

Shoigu said more than 1,400 fighters had laid down their weapons and more than 142,000 civilians had also been evacuated from the city. Mariupol was besieged for weeks.

Russia has twice tried to establish humanitarian corridors for people willing to leave the factory in recent days, but both times have failed. The Russian Defense Ministry called on the remaining Ukrainian forces to lay down their weapons, provide safety guarantees, if they accept the proposal to surrender and cease all hostilities.

Sergey Volina, commander of the 36th Marine Brigade of Ukraine, was hiding at the factory, claiming that hundreds of civilians were trapped in the facility. Volina did not explain why they voluntarily decided to entrench in the base besieged by Azov Battalion and controlled by Ukrainian regular troops.

“We have prepared about 90 buses and 25 ambulances for them, but no one has left the Azovstal factory,” Shoigu said, adding that cameras had been installed in the area to monitor the situation. Figure. According to the minister, about 100 civilians from other areas seized this opportunity to evacuate.

Russian forces have also freed all the hostages held at the port Mariupol, including the crew, who had been cut off contact by the hostage-takers. Shoigu added that the port is still closed due to landmines.

Ukrainian forces entrenched at the factory gave the conditions to leave the site by the end of April 20. The Ukrainian military said it would leave the area with the support of an unidentified “third party”, Svyatoslav Palamar, deputy commander of the Azov battalion, said at the time. He added that they also want to keep their personal weapons, not surrender.

The strategic city of Mariupol has seen the heaviest fighting of the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict and has been badly damaged.