Russia has resumed its attack on last Ukrainian defenders in the port city Mariupol, according to Ukrainian official quoted by Reuters. These Ukrainian soldiers are holed up in a giant steel factory. The resumption of Russian attack has come days after Moscow’s declaration of victory in Mariupol. As the time of declaring victory, Russia had said that its forces did not need to take the factory in the city.
Russian forces were hitting the Azovstal complex with airstrikes and trying to storm it, presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said, adding “the enemy is trying to strangle the final resistance of Mariupol’s defenders”.
Mariupol is crucial for Russia to link eastern Donbas region and Russian-controlled Crimea.
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Russia’s defence ministry said on Friday the remaining fighters had been “securely blockaded” at the steel plant. On Thursday, President Vladimir Putin had declared the city “liberated” and ordered his defence minister to block off the Azovstal complex “so not even a fly can get through” rather than try to storm it.
“There’s no need to climb into these catacombs and crawl underground through these industrial facilities” Putin said on television.
As per Arestovych, the Ukrainian soldiers were holding out in Azovstal complex and were attempting counterattacks “despite the very difficult situation”.
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As per Ukrainian authorities, more than 1000 civilians are inside the steel plant along with soldiers.
Russian forces besieged and bombarded Mariupol – home to more than 400,000 people before the war – for weeks, leaving a city in ruins. Ukraine estimates tens of thousands of civilians have died and says 100,000 civilians are still there. The United Nations and Red Cross say the civilian toll is at least in the thousands.
(With inputs from agencies)
