Pavel Polityuk

KYIV (Reuters – Ukrainian fighters clung to the last redoubt at Mariupol after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared victory in the largest battle of war. He claimed that the city was “liberated” from weeks of bombardment.

On Thursday, the United States disputed Putin’s claims and stated that it believes Ukrainian forces are still in control of the city. Putin instructed his troops blockade of a huge steel plant where Ukrainians hold on to their refusal to submit to an ultimatum.

The Ukraine claimed that Putin was seeking to avoid an ultimatum with the forces of Mariupol as he did not have sufficient troops to do so. However, Ukrainian officials appealed to the international community for aid in evacuating civilians and injured soldiers.

Putin, in a live televised meeting at Kremlin, congratulated both his defense minister and Russian troops on the “combat effort of liberating Mariupol”. He also said that it wasn’t necessary to storm an industrial area containing the Azovstal Steel plant.

Putin declared, “There’s no need for you to climb in these catacombs and tunnel under these industrial facilities… You can block off the industrial area so not even one fly can pass through.”

Mariupol is a key port in Ukraine’s east Donbas. It lies between Crimea (the Black Sea peninsula Moscow took over in 2014) and Russian separatists. Russia could link these two regions by capturing the city.

Even though Putin claimed the first large prize for his force’s departure from Kyiv last month, this is still far short of the victory Moscow sought after months spent fighting in a city that was reduced to rubble.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zeleskiy claimed that Russia is doing everything it can “to talk about some victories”, and even mobilizing new tactical battalions.

Zelenskiy explained that “they can only delay the inevitable – the time when invaders will have leave our territory including Mariupol. A city that continues resisting Russia regardless of the occupiers’ statements.”

HUMANITARIAN CATASTROPHE

Russia describes its incursion as a “special military action” that aims to demilitarize and “denazify Ukraine. Kyiv and its Western allies deny that it is a pretext to a war which has claimed thousands lives and uprooted nearly a quarter Ukrainians.

Moscow increased its aggression in Ukraine’s eastern region this week. It launched long-distance attacks at other targets, including Kyiv (western city) and Lviv (western city). On Monday, 7 people were killed when missiles struck Lviv.

Washington has authorized $800 million more in military aid to Ukraine. It includes heavy artillery, and the newly discovered “Ghost”, which is destroyed by drones after attacking their targets.

U.S. President Joe Biden declared that they are now in an important window where the US is going to prepare for the next stage of the war.

When Ned Price, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department was asked about Putin’s declaration of victory in Mariupol, Price stated that it was just “yet another disinformation from their tried-and-true playbook”.

Mariupol, which was home to over 400,000 residents, witnessed not only the bloodiest battles of the conflict that began when Russian forces invaded the city on February 24th, but also the greatest humanitarian catastrophe.

According to the Ukraine, Mariupol has seen the deaths of tens or thousands of civilians. Red Cross and United Nations estimate that the civilian casualty is only in the hundreds.

The streets of Mariupol were littered with bodies and almost all the buildings were destroyed. Journalists reached Mariupol in time for the siege.

Ukrainian soldiers are still inside Azovstal’s steel complex. It is one of Europe’s largest metallurgical facilities, with 11 km2 and huge buildings as well underground bunkers, tunnels, and other structures.

Vadym Boichenko (mariupol mayor) told Reuters that Putin is the only one who can determine the fates of the remaining 100,000 citizens trapped in Mariupol.

It is important to realize that all the lives are still in Putin’s hands. Boichenko stated that all deaths after this date will also be his responsibility.”

Iryna Vereshchuk, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister, stated that 1,000 civilians were needed and 500 soldiers wounded. She blamed Russian forces for not establishing a safe passageway.

Moscow has claimed that Russia has received 140,000 Mariupol citizens in humanitarian evacuations. Kyiv asserts that certain were expelled by force in violation of what could be called a war crime.

EASTER PAUSE

Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations proposed Tuesday a humanitarian pause for fighting in the Orthodox Easter period. Ukrainians and Russians both are Orthodox Christians. They celebrate Easter Sunday April 24.

Separately, a Ukrainian group of religious communities and churches proposed an Easter truce. The head of Ukraine’s Orthodox Church urged Ukrainians not to attend nighttime Easter services because of Russian bombardment.

Zelenskiy claimed that Russia “rejected the proposition to establish an Easter truce”. The exact truce Zelenskiy meant was unclear.

Russian comments were not immediate.

A Zelenskiy aide said that Russian forces had taken 42 villages from the eastern Donetsk area on Thursday. However, Ukraine may soon take these back.