Urban part of Mariupol cleared of Ukrainian troops: Moscow
The Ukrainian forces have sustained heavy losses since the start of the war in Ukraine, a tally by the Russian Defense Ministry revealed, and the city of Mariupol has been cleared out of soldiers.
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Soldiers from the Russian Chechen National Guard during the battles in Mariupol (Telegram)
All of Mariupol's urban area has been cleared of Ukrainian troops, with more than 4,000 soldiers eliminated over the past day alone, the Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday.
"The entire urban territory of Mariupol is completely secured from the militants of the Nazi unit Azov, foreign mercenaries, and Ukrainian troops. The remnants of the Ukrainian force are currently completely locked at the metallurgical plant Azovstal," Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.
Just in Mariupol alone, as of April 16, Konashenkov added, "the losses of Ukrainian forces are over 4,000 troops.
#MARIUPOL
— UkraineMaps (@MapsUkraine) April 16, 2022
Current situation of Mariupol City, the Russian MoD officially announced that Azovstal is the last remaining area occupied by Azov militants, all the urban settlements have been liberated! pic.twitter.com/7MucuOxpNX
In total, Kiev's forces have lost more than 23,300 troops since the beginning of the war in the country, the Russian MoD revealed Saturday.
"As of today, the permanent losses are 23,367 people," Russian Defense Ministry Igor Konashenkov said.
Earlier today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kiev would walk away from the negotiations table with Russia if its troops in Mariupol are eliminated.
Some 1,160 Ukrainian soldiers, including 176 officers, of the 36th Marine Brigade, surrendered to the Russian forces in Mariupol earlier this week. Moscow's Ministry of Defense said it would allow all Ukrainian troops to withdraw through humanitarian corridors, pledging to spare Ukrainian nationalists who agree to law down their arms.
#MARIUPOL
— UkraineMaps (@MapsUkraine) April 16, 2022
Drone footage shows how DPR captured the Ilyich plant north of Azovstal in Mariupol City, panicking and confused Ukrainian military + surrender included: pic.twitter.com/0UY8JTkS1g
Mariupol has been a playground for Ukrainian provocations since the war broke out in the country on February 24. The Russian Defense Ministry had revealed that Ukrainian nationalists in Mariupol used about 150 civilians as human shields and opened fire against DPR fighters from behind the civilians' backs.
Azov battalion militants had also opened fire against civilians during evacuations from the city, resulting in the death of two people and the injury of four others, the DPR reported last month.
