Marines encircled in Mariupol establish contact with “Azov” Regiment

Kateryna Tyshchenko – Tuesday, 12 April 2022, 20:59

A special operation has enabled a division of the 36th Independent Marine Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to break through the Russian encirclement and join the "Azov" Regiment.

Source: Prestupnosti.NET, citing an officer from the Brigade

Details: According to the officer cited, the special operation has been carried out successfully despite great difficulty.

"I can’t give you all the details, but I can say that right now we have joined the "Azov" Regiment. Several hundred marines managed to escape, including the wounded," the officer from the 36th Brigade said.

Background:

• Since 1 March the city of Mariupol has been blockaded by Russian troops, who have created a humanitarian crisis in the city and are perpetrating a genocide of Ukrainian people. So far, it has been impossible to liberate Mariupol or deliver military aid to its defenders.
• On 11 April, the 36th Independent Marine Brigade who were defending Mariupol from the Russian forces said that their last battle for Mariupol might take place that day, and that Ukraine’s military command had not been in touch with them for two weeks.
• Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, insisted that the command has a connection to the Mariupol defence forces and said that the details of any special operations should not be subject to public debate.
• On the evening of 11 April Russian troops dropped an unidentified poisonous substance on Mariupol. Andrii Biletskyi, leader of the "Azov" Regiment, said that the Russian army deployed chemical weapons in this attack on the Azovstal plant, which is held by "Azov" Regiment soldiers.
• On 12 April, Mykhailo Podoliak, Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said that President Zelenskyy and the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are looking for ways to help the Ukrainian soldiers in Mariupol, but cannot make their plans public.