The Steelworks is the last point of resistance in Mariupol
Photo: DW / Deutsche Welle
The commander of the Ukrainian marines who are still in Mariupol on Wednesday (April 20) made a dramatic appeal to international leaders, demanding evacuation to the territory of another country. Ukrainian troops are besieged by Russian troops at a steel mill, the last point of resistance in the port city, which has been the target of intense attacks in recent weeks.
“The enemy outnumbers us 10 to 1,” Serhiy Volina, commander of Ukraine’s 36th Naval Brigade, said in a little over 1 minute video posted to Facebook. “We are appealing to leaders around the world for help.” He further emphasized that Russia has an advantage in air, artillery, ground forces, military equipment and tanks.
The Ukrainian military and fighters are now only defending the Azovstal Steel Plant, where hundreds of civilians are also taking shelter. Volina demanded an “evacuation procedure” from the factory, during which all soldiers defending Mariupol, of whom more than 500 were wounded, and civilians will be taken to a safe place on the territory of another country.
“This is our appeal to the world. This may be the last request of our lives. We are probably facing our last days, if not our last hours,” added the commander.
Since the beginning of March, Mariupol has been besieged by Russian troops. The city and the port are completely destroyed. Tens of thousands of civilians are still trapped in the city without access to water or food. The Ukrainian government claims that more than 20,000 civilians have died as a result of the intense bombing.
According to Russia, around 2,500 Ukrainian soldiers and 400 foreign mercenaries are said to be staying in the steelworks. Ukraine said 1,000 civilians had taken refuge there. Moscow issued a new ultimatum to the Ukrainian resistance in Mariupol to surrender and announced it would introduce a ceasefire in the city on Wednesday. Ukrainians ignored previous similar offers.
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 city’s fall would be Russia’s biggest victory in almost eight weeks war.
new war phase
Russia on Tuesday said it had entered a new phase of the war, which Ukrainian officials dubbed the Battle of Donbass. The Russian invasion has so far failed to capture one of Ukraine’s largest cities, forcing Moscow to refocus and focus offensives on breakaway regions to the east.
Authorities in Kyiv said they had reached an agreement with Russia to form a humanitarian corridor for the evacuation of civilians from Mariupol on Wednesday. Meanwhile, proRussian separatists say they have taken control of Kreminna, a small town of 18,000 in eastern Ukraine. According to the United States, this is the only territorial gain that the Russian ground offensive has made in 24 hours.
British military intelligence said fighting in Donbass had intensified as Russian forces tried to advance through the region and prevent reinforcements from reaching Ukrainian soldiers fighting there. After a lull, Russia increased its bombing in and around Kyiv.
The biggest attack on a European country since World War II has seen more than 5 million Ukrainians flee abroad, leaving cities in ruins. Women and children are the vast majority of refugees.
In response to the invasion, Western powers imposed heavy sanctions on Russia and sent arms to Ukraine.
CN (dpa, Reuters)