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83rd day of war in Ukraine: Azovstal fortress falls

Hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers at the Azovstal factory surrendered after Kiev announced the end of its combat mission in Mariupol, ending nearly three months of resistance.

Department of Defense Russia On May 17, it was announced that 265 Ukrainian soldiers entrenched in the Azovstal iron and steel plant, south of Mariupol, of which 51 were seriously injured, had laid down their weapons, surrendered and were evacuated to an area controlled by Russian forces. control.

Azovstal, the last defensive bastion in Mariupol, fell after the Ukrainian government announced that its forces at Mariupol had “completed their combat mission” and authorized the command of defensive units. at Azovstal does what it takes to “save soldiers’ lives”.

The 83rd day of the war in Ukraine: Azovstal fell

Russian servicemen check on surrendered Ukrainian soldiers at the Azovstal iron and steel plant in Mariupol on May 17. Video: Russian Defense Forces.

Reuters At least seven buses carrying surrendered Ukrainian soldiers, some of whom were not wounded soldiers, left the Azovstal factory under the escort of Russian forces. It is not clear how many soldiers are still inside the Azovstal plant.

Video released by the Russian Defense Ministry shows unarmed Ukrainian soldiers being checked before boarding, some lying on stretchers. The fate of the Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered is not known, nor if Russian forces or the separatists will agree to return them all.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to find all ways to rescue these soldiers, possibly by exchanging Russian prisoners of war.

Western experts said that the fall of Azovstal fortress “marks Russia’s complete control of Mariupol, an important milestone in one of the bloodiest battles” since the conflict in Ukraine broke out.

They also assessed this as one of the biggest victories of Russian forces after launching a special military operation to “demilitarize and de-fascist Ukraine”.





Armored units of the armed units of pro-Russian separatists escort a convoy of buses carrying surrendered Ukrainian soldiers leaving the Azovstal factory on May 17.  Photo: Reuters.

Armored units of the armed units of pro-Russian separatists escort a convoy of buses carrying surrendered Ukrainian soldiers leaving the Azovstal factory on May 17. Image: Reuters.

Control Mariupol helping Russia establish a land corridor from the Crimean peninsula through southeastern Ukraine to the border. This also helps Russia to withdraw its forces besieging the Azovstal factory to shift operations to other areas in the industrial center of eastern Ukraine.

Michel Olhagaray, a former French vice-admiral who served as director of a high-level military research center, said the fall of Azovstal was an event that brought more symbolic value to Russia than militarily.

“President Vladimir Putin can now claim victory in Donbass. However, the defense units at Azovstal held back Russian forces for 82 days, so Ukraine can also claim an advantage,” Olhagaray said. “Both Russia and Ukraine can consider this. is their victory in different respects”.

As fighting entered its 83rd day, fighting continued in other parts of Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry announced that water forces had stopped a counterattack by two battalions of Ukrainian motorized infantry near the residential area of ​​Vishnevoe, province Zaporizhzhia.

“As a result of this futile counterattack, 26 Ukrainian tanks and 12 infantry fighting vehicles were destroyed, and 100 Ukrainian soldiers were killed,” the agency said. Ukraine has not yet commented on the information.

Russia stopped Ukraine's counterattack in the central region

Russian forces ambushed two Ukrainian motorized battalions near Vishnevoe, Zaporizhzhia province in a video released on May 17. Video: Russian Defense Forces.

The city of Lviv, western Ukraine, early morning of May 17 was shaken by loud explosions. The governor of Lviv province said that railway and military facilities around Yavoriv, ​​west of the city of Lviv, had been raided by Russian forces.

The Russian Defense Ministry later announced that its forces launched Kalibr cruise missiles at a target near the Starichi train station in Lviv province, where the Ukrainian reserve forces as well as equipment from the US and Europe are assembled before taking off. on the way to Donbass.

Russia also launched missiles against Ukrainian reserve units that had just completed training in Akhtyrka, province. Sumy and Desna, province Chernihiv.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), based in the US capital Washington, said that Russia may withdraw its forces from the province. Kharkiv aim border guardpreventing Ukraine from attacking an important logistics line in Belgorod.

“They can find a way to control beneficial positions on Ukrainian territory to prevent the enemy from using rocket artillery to attack Belgorod, a city that plays an important role in Russia’s logistics line for special military operations. special,” the ISW report reads.

Bashaw Kursk Roman Starovoit informed that the village of Alekseyvka in the Glushkovsky district, western Russia, was occupied by Ukraine. raid with a large caliber weapon that destroyed three houses and a school. The damage in the raid is unknown.





Outline of the battlefield in eastern Ukraine after more than 80 days of fighting.  Click to see details.

Outline of the battlefield in eastern Ukraine after more than 80 days of fighting. Click to see details.

While fighting on the ground raged, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the President of Ukraine and the country’s chief negotiator, announced negotiations with Russia. stalled and accused Moscow of having “stereotypical thinking”.

Mr. Podolyak said the two sides had not made any significant progress or changes at the negotiating table since the meeting in Istanbul, Turkey at the end of March.

Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenk also confirmed that negotiations with Ukraine were not making progress, but said that the reason was because Kiev withdrew from the peace process and did not respond to the draft treaty proposed by Russia.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has so far recorded more than 6.2 million Ukrainians leaving the country after February 24, when Russia launched a military operation.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) also reported a total of 7,814 civilian casualties in Ukraine, of which 3,752 died and 4,062 were injured, but warned the actual number could be much higher.

Nguyen Tien (According to AP, Zvezda)

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