Russia said Saturday that there are no Ukrainian troops in the urban area of Mariupol, a key battlefield in the east of Ukraine.
“The entire urban territory of Mariupol is completely cleared of militants of the Nazist group ‘Azov,’ foreign mercenaries, and Ukrainian troops,” Russian Defense Ministry wrote in a social media post.
The remainder of the Ukrainian groups are blocked on Azovstal, one of Europe’s biggest metallurgical plants located in the east of Mariupol, the Kremlin said.
“Their only chance to save their lives is to voluntarily lay down their weapons and surrender,” the Russian Defense Ministry claimed.
The partially destroyed Mariupol drama theatre, bombed last March 16, in Mariupol on April 12, 2022. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images)
According to the post, there were about 8,100 Ukrainian soldiers or militants in Mariupol on March 11; 1,464 of them have surrendered, no more than 2,500 people are still blocked in Azovstal, and more than 4,000 have been killed.
…