“I urge the political-military leadership to take decisive action to break the blockade or evacuate all who hope and believe in their homeland,” Deputy Commander Svyatoslav Palamar said in the video message. Palamar said fighters are increasingly wondering why Kiev is not keeping its promises. “Who can answer that: why are we alone against artillery, ships and planes?”
In addition to numerous fighters, there are said to be around 1,000 civilians in the plant’s bunkers. Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin ordered the site to be closed. Russia accuses the nationalist-dominated Azov regiment of war crimes. Moscow has yet to present any evidence. According to information from Moscow, the rest of the heavily damaged port of Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine is under Russian control after weeks of fighting.
According to the Ukrainian governor of the Donetsk region, Russia wants to capture the remaining militants at the facilities of the Azov steelworks. That’s why the Russians are not ready to evacuate wounded Ukrainian soldiers, for example, Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Thursday.
Azov deputy commander Palamar reported further violent attacks. He claimed that Russia dropped “a colossal amount of phosphorus bombs”. These incendiary bombs ignite on contact with oxygen and wreak havoc. Its use is prohibited.
Azov estimates that Russia has lost $162 million worth of military equipment in Mariupol alone since the war of aggression began on Feb. Ammunition and the use of fighter jets would have cost an additional $288 million, Palamar said. With that money, Russia could have built schools and clinics and given retirees a comfortable life. But the Kremlin decided to spend it on destroying Mariupol, Palamar said. He did not explain how the totals were calculated.