Russia-Ukraine War: Mariupol ‘Liberated’ Says Putin, Pockets of Resistance At Azovstal Plant

Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly asked his forces to cease attacks on Ukraine’s south-eastern port city of Mariupol after his defense minister declared it ‘liberated’. Mariupol on the coast of the Sea of Azov, is home to the Azov Battalion, often associated with far-right and neo-Nazi ideologies and activities, especially by Russia. Pro-Russian Telegram sources have kept up a constant stream of videos showing Chechen and other Russian troops active in the region, claiming complete control of the town.

In a televised meeting, Putin was told by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that Russia was in control of the city except for the steel plant: "The remaining nationalist formations took refuge in the industrial zone of the Azovstal plant."  to which Putin reportedly replied that it is impractical to flush them out through direct combat: "There is no need to climb into these catacombs and crawl underground through these industrial facilities. Block off this industrial area so that not even a fly can escape,"

Mariupol has been a hotbed of the conflict since it is a strategically important location for Russia, allowing Moscow complete control around the sea of Azov. The other cities in the vicinity such as Melitopol are already in Russian control.

Ukrainian President Says 1,000 Civilians Trapped With Forces In Mariupol

During the visit of European Council chief Charles Michel, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters that “Behind the backs of our guys in Mariupol there are around a thousand civilians, including women and children,” and also that he is willing for a prisoner exchange with Russia to evacuate them. 120,000 civilians in the city of Mariupol are also under threat and living in dire conditions, as per Ukraine, and repeated attempts to create humanitarian corridors have failed.

The UK’s Defense Ministry has said that Russia is likely to scale up its attacks and attempt a decisive resolution ahead of the May 9^th Victory Day parade in the country. It is subjecting Kramatorsk in the east to persistent rocket fire as it moves towards the city.  

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 21 April 2022

Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/8v54OEcrMa

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Media reports say that Russian forces now control 80% of the territory in Luhansk, which along with Donetsk makes up the predominantly Russian-speaking Donbas region.