Natalia Zinets, Tom Balmforth

KYIV, Reuters – Russia moved closer to Ukraine’s Donbas area control. Russia claimed victory in the lengthy battle for Mariupol’s Steel Plant and launched a massive offensive in Luhansk against any remaining Ukrainian-held territory.

Russian defense ministry announced that the Ukrainian last forces, which were still trapped inside Mariupol’s Azovstal steelworks, surrendered to Russia on Friday. This ended the worst siege of war.

The ministry stated that the Azovstal metalurgical plant’s territory had been liberated. It also added that 2,439 of its defenders surrendered within the last few days. 531 were part of the final group.

The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated that the military had told the last steelwork defenders in Ukraine that they were allowed to escape and spare their lives. These figures were not confirmed immediately by the Ukrainians.

Russia launched what looked like a major attack to capture the Ukrainian-held last territory in Luhansk province, which is one of the two independent Ukrainian regions.

On his Telegram channel, Serhiy Gaidai, Luhansk Governor, stated that the Russian army had begun to destroy the city of Sievierodonetsk in a very intense manner.

Early Saturday morning, sirens went off across much of Ukraine including the Kyiv capital area and Odesa’s southern port.

Moscow would be able to win the Luhansk-Donetsk battle, which is a large part of Ukraine’s industrial Donbas, if it captures these provinces. Moscow announced last month that they were achieving this goal.

Russian forces are making gains on the Luhansk Front despite losing ground elsewhere over recent weeks.

Mathieu Boulgue, a Chatham House expert and an expert on the subject said “These are the most critical weeks of the conflict.” It all depends on their ability to conquer Sievierodonetsk, and other lands.

According to the general staff of Ukraine, it has resisted an attack on Sievierodonetsk as part of major Russian operations that were being conducted along a section of frontline.

Moscow’s Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stated that “liberation from the Luhansk People’s Republic will be completed soon.”

BATTLE FOR MARIUPOL

Russia’s victory at Mariupol was symbolic after several setbacks. But it also came at the expense of huge destruction.

Zelenskiy claimed that Russia has “completely destroyed” the region and suggested a formal arrangement with its allies to ensure Russian compensation for the destruction it caused.

Natalia Zarytska was the wife of Azovstal fighter and surrendered. She said that she hadn’t heard anything from him since two Telegram messages exchanged on Tuesday. He was believed to be still living.

Zarytska, a relative, said that the situation was “really difficult” and horrendous, and her husband is in danger of being taken to prison.

Red Cross claimed that it has registered many Ukrainians at the facility as prisoners-of-war. Kyiv also stated it would like a prisoner exchange. Moscow insists that prisoners will be treated humanely but Russian politicians claim some of them must be tried, or even executed.

In recent weeks, Russian forces have been expelled from Ukraine’s second largest city Kharkiv. This is their fastest retreat since they were forced to flee the Kyiv and north regions at the beginning of March.

They still hold large areas of the east and south, however. The end of fighting at Mariupol has meant that this territory is now almost unbroken.

Moscow’s parliament stated that it will consider accepting Russians aged 40 or more and foreigners older than 30 to join its military. This is a clear sign of Russia’s desire to increase its war effort.

This week saw Finland and Sweden apply for NATO membership. Turkey threatened to stop them. However, the Nordic countries were accused of harboring Kurdish militants.

Putin declared this week that the NATO members of Finland and Sweden were not a threat after weeks of threats to retaliate. However, unless they sent more troops or weapons, it was clear that Russia did not intend to do so. Shoigu, however, stated Friday that Moscow was ready to increase its force in nearby areas to respond to “new threats”.