Ukrainians refuse to surrender
Kremlin general announces ceasefire in Mariupol
4/19/2022, 5:42 p.m
The Azovstal Steel Plant is considered the bulwark of the defenders of Mariupol. After pro-Russian separatists announced that they would storm the factory site, Moscow promised a unilateral cease-fire a short time later. However, Ukrainian troops in the city refuse to lay down their arms.
Russian forces have announced a unilateral ceasefire in the embattled Ukrainian port of Mariupol. At the same time, according to the Defense Ministry in Moscow, they opened a “humanitarian corridor” for Ukrainian fighters who have holed up there in the Azovstal steelworks.
Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev appealed to the fighters to voluntarily surrender to Russian captivity. “I would like to particularly emphasize that the Russian leadership guarantees life, complete safety and medical care to all those who lay down their arms,” said the colonel-general. However, the Ukrainian units confirmed in the Telegram news channel that they would not lay down their arms and would continue to fight to defend the city.
Ukraine let an ultimatum expire at the weekend. Russia threatened to “annihilate” all fighters who continue to resist. In this case, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already declared that he will terminate negotiations with Russia to end the war.
“Tank Battles on the City Streets”
Only in the morning did the pro-Russian separatists report that they were beginning to storm the Azovstal steelworks. Special troops had been put together for the attack, separatist representative Eduard Bassurin told state media in Moscow. Russian air force and artillery would support them. All parts of Mariupol have already been taken.
The Ukrainian governor of the Donetsk region, Pavlo Kyrylenko, contradicted this account. “Street fighting continues in some parts of the city.” You “can’t say” that they are controlled by the Russian army, Kyrylenko told US broadcaster CNN. “Street fights are taking place, and not only with small arms, but there are also tank battles on the city streets.” Neighborhoods where there are many Ukrainian fighters are under “heavy fire, but the defense is holding up.”
Mariupol is strategically important as Ukraine’s last access point to the Sea of Azov. The pro-Russian separatists, who have proclaimed people’s republics in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, are hoping for permanent access to the world’s oceans. According to Russian information, around 2,500 fighters are said to have entrenched themselves in the steelworks. In addition, many civilians are said to have sought refuge there. According to Ukrainian authorities, there are also at least a thousand civilians in the underground facilities of the steel mill.