They are the last Ukrainians to defend Mariupol against Putin’s army: the soldiers in the bombed Azov steelworks (“Azovstal”).
Underground, under the rubble of the destroyed factory, they persevere and try to take care of hundreds of civilians who seek shelter in the cellars. They’re fighting for what’s left of Mariupol!
“I always say: As long as we are here, Mariupol will remain under Ukrainian control,” Svyatoslav Palamar, commander of the Ukrainian Azov regiment, told the BBC.
His warning to the West: “If we fall, this horde will spread further and the whole civilized world will be in danger. Russia does not innovate or rebuild anything. It aims to destroy and terrorize!”
The Ukrainian nationalist Azov Regiment was integrated into the Ukrainian National Guard in November 2014, following Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Together with a marine brigade, border guards and police officers, they are currently the last defenders of Mariupol.
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The port city on the Sea of Azov is one of Putin’s most important strategic war targets in order to be able to launch a new offensive from the Donbass. The vast majority of Mariupol has been destroyed after weeks of bombing and street fighting – and is in Russian hands.
“All buildings in Azovstal territory are practically destroyed. They drop heavy bombs, bunker-busting bombs that cause great destruction. We have wounded and dead in the bunkers,” Palamar continues.
This information cannot be independently verified.
In addition, several hundred civilians, including children and infants, are said to be in the cellars under the destroyed factory. Some people are trapped because of collapsed buildings. The supply of medicines and food is becoming more critical every day.
Palamar and his fighters want to evacuate the people from Mariupol, but do not understand this as a surrender.
Already at the beginning of March, Palamar said clearly and unequivocally: “It is important that everyone understands, both in Ukraine and in the whole world: Mariupol must not be lost! This is the last stronghold of Ukraine in the Azov region,” the commander told BILD.
“If we lose Mariupol, the whole of Ukraine loses,” Kalin continued.
