On the 53rd day of the war, Russia demanded the surrender of Ukrainian soldiers who resisted at Mariupol and pledged to spare the lives of those who laid down their arms. Yesterday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that taking the city would end peace talks with Moscow.
The head of the Russian Defense Control Center, ColonelGeneral Mikhail Mizintsev, said that “all these [ucranianos] those who lay down their arms are guaranteed to have their lives spared.” According to Mizintsev, Ukrainian fighters are “in a desperate situation, with practically no food and water”.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian troops have already occupied the entire urban area of Mariupol, leaving only a group of Ukrainian fighters in a steel factory. However, Moscow’s claim cannot be independently verified.
As the scene of the war’s heaviest combatants and worst humanitarian catastrophe, Mariupol could be the first major city to be taken by Russia since the conflict began.
The attacks around Kyiv continue
The offensive against the capital continues this Sunday (17th). An ammunition factory in Brovary, Kyiv region, was destroyed during the night. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed responsibility, saying the attack was carried out using highly accurate airborne missiles.
According to Brovary Mayor Ihor Sapozhko, rockets hit the city’s infrastructure and a power outage occurred. Teams work for the restoration. Water and sanitation services were also affected, but Sapozhko says he is working to restore them as well.
Why is Mariupol important?
Located on the Sea of Azov, Mariupol is one of the key targets for the Russians to gain full control of the Donbass region and form a land corridor in eastern Ukraine from the Crimea peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. The fall of the city would be Russia’s biggest victory in more than 50 days of war.
Dubbed the Fortress in the City, in an industrial region overlooking the Sea of Azov, a steel mill occupies an area of more than 11 square kilometers. Marines, as well as fighters from the National Guard and the Azov Battalion a farright nationalist militia would be on site. There is no information about the number of fighters on the ground.
Kyiv has not yet responded to the Russian ultimatum.
The takeover of Mariupol would end the negotiations
Zelenskyy said yesterday that the elimination of Ukrainian soldiers in Mariupol would end “all peace negotiations” with Moscow.
“The elimination of our military, our men [em Mariupol] will end all peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda, in which he also warned that both sides were stuck in a “dead end”.
In a speech to the nation Saturday night, Zelenskyy said that “the situation in Mariupol remains as serious as possible, simply inhumane” and accused Russia of “deliberately continuing to destroy cities.”
The Ukrainian President stressed that the Russians are “deliberately trying to annihilate everyone who remains in Mariupol.” He added that since the beginning of the Russian invasion, the Ukrainian government has been trying to “find a military or diplomatic solution to save the population,” but “until now, there hasn’t been a 100% solid option.”
humanitarian catastrophe
Besieged for weeks, Mariupol is facing one of the greatest humanitarian catastrophes of the current conflict. The city was the target of intense bombing and lies in ruins. According to local authorities, at least 20,000 civilians have died in the region since the Russian invasion began, and about 120,000 people remain in the besieged city.
Russian troops announced on Friday that they have taken control of another steel plant in the city, which was one of Ukraine’s defense points. Reuters journalists were at the scene and reported that the steel mill had been reduced to rubble and also reported the presence of several civilian bodies strewn in nearby streets.
*With information from Deutsche Welle and AFP