Hot Mariupol: Ukrainian forces entrenched in the Azovstal factory swear to do this

Ukrainian forces entrenched at the Azovstal steel plant in the Black Sea port city of Mariupol have no plans to surrender, fighters from the Azov regiment told journalists on Sunday May 8 during a meeting online press conference.

A man identified as Ilya Samoylenko, described by the media as an Azov fighter and a military intelligence officer, stressed that the option of surrendering was “unacceptable”. added that it would be “a gift to the enemy”, referring to the Russian army and militia of the Donbass republics that control much of Mariupol.

“We will continue to fight as long as we live, Kiev needs to take ‘decisive steps’ to create favorable conditions for this,” said Sviatoslav Palamar, deputy commander of the Azov regiment.

He also added that the forces concentrated at the plant are ready to receive support from “any country”, except Russia and its allies. Earlier, a commander of the Ukrainian marine forces also entrenched at the Azovstal factory asked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for such help.

Samoylenko admitted that the militants entrenched inside the factory had “dedicated all (necessary) resources to an effective defense”. Ukrainian forces still have food, water and weapons, but their resources are “limited”, Samoylenko added.

The intelligence officer also acknowledged that “hundreds” of soldiers were still injured at the factory and called on Kiev to evacuate them along with medics, who he said were “exhausted”. Meanwhile, Palamar has criticized Ukrainian politicians, who have hailed previous efforts to evacuate civilians from the factory as a “success”.

“Have all the civilians been evacuated? We can’t say for sure because no international organizations, no Ukrainian politicians have come to the factory…”, Deputy Regiment Commander Azov said, co. time added that “some politicians are not tactful but just joking”.

Mr. Palamar criticized Kiev for abandoning Meriupol and not evacuating residents who remained trapped in the city during the fighting.

Palamar’s comments came a day after Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereschuk announced that all women, children and elderly civilians trapped in the Azovstal complex in Mariupol had been evacuated. At the time, the United Nations said 500 people were evacuated from the facility overnight between Thursday and Friday.

Previously, Russia had accused Ukrainian soldiers and neo-Nazi militia that occupied the factory – including the infamous Azov regiment – of detaining civilians there in exchange for supplies. A video posted and later deleted by the German magazine Der Spiegel shows one evacuee saying they were held “in a bunker” under Azovstal for two months and banned by Azov fighters from using their weapons. humanitarian corridor established by Russia.

Samoylenko also accused Ukrainian officials of “failing to defend Mariupol, not preparing for the defense of Mariupol”, adding that they had not received support during the two-and-a-half-month siege. “We left it to our own fate,” added Samoylenko.