‘We will not give in,’ say Ukraine forces in Mariupol

“We are probably facing our last days, if not hours, but we will not surrender to Russia.”

Ukrainian soldiers have been fighting for over 50 days against Russia, which is besieging Mariupol, the Ukraine soldiers’ last stronghold in the southern port city. They sent a video message to The Washington Post on Tuesday, in which they vowed to fight till the end and urged the international community’s support. Fighting at the Azovstal Iron and Steel plant, the final Ukrainian holdouts, the soldiers called for the international community’s support for civilians and injured soldiers, saying that this would be our last message.

“The enemy is outnumbering us 10 to one,” said Major Serhiy Volyna of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade, in a video message. “Russia has the advantage in the air, in artillery, in their forces on land, in equipment and in tanks,” Volyna said. “At least 500 people are wounded in the plant, among them are injured soldiers, women, and children. It’s in the basement where people just rot. There is no medication.”

The Russian military estimates that around 2,500 Ukrainian solders are in the plant. Earlier, Russia demanded Ukrainian forces to surrender, and that they would offer “humanitarian corridors” or fleeing civilians. However, Ukrainian forces defy Russia’s demands as such offers are a “lie.” Major Volyna implored the world leaders to help the soldiers and civilians. “We ask them to use the procedure of extraction and take us to the territory of a third-party state.”

Mariupol is a strategic land corridor that connects Crimea, which Russia forcibly seized in 2014, and the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. The Security Service of Ukraine said it intercepted radio communications where Russian soldiers talking among themselves about using 3-ton bombs on a steel plant, which will destroy everything on the ground. The Washington Post reported that capturing Mariupol would be a significant victory for Russia, which has been humiliated by the sinking of its warship Moskva.


Eun-Taek Lee nabi@donga.com