Zelenskyy on breaking the siege of Mariupol: “We are preparing but we need weapons”

Alyona Mazurenko – Thursday, 21 April 2022, 18:58

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine believes that the siege of Mariupol can be broken by diplomatic or military means. While Ukraine is preparing for this, it needs its international partners to supply the necessary weapons.

Source: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during a press conference following the visits of the Prime Ministers of Spain and Denmark

According to Zelenskyy: "Breaking the siege of Mariupol, as well as of other besieged cities, of which, unfortunately, we have many in Ukraine.

There are several ways in which the siege of Mariupol can be lifted. There is a military way. We need to prepare for it – and we are preparing to show strength, and we need the help of our partners. It’s difficult for us to do it on our own. We need the right weapons."

Details: President Zelenskyy also said that Ukraine offered to conduct a prisoner exchange, or at least an exchange of wounded soldiers. He added that there are around 400 wounded Ukrainian soldiers at the Azovstal plant.

He also noted that the Ukrainian government is in constant contact with the Ukrainian soldiers defending Mariupol.

Earlier: Sergei Shoigu, the Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, misinformed President Putin that Mariupol had been "liberated" [by Russia from Ukrainian troops - ed.], but later added that "over 2,000" Ukrainian defenders remain in the city.

Background: Despite the fact that most of Mariupol has been captured by Russian occupying forces, Ukrainian soldiers continue to hold their defence and even report inflicting losses on Russian troops.

In particular, the Azov Regiment destroyed 3 Russian tanks and 2 armoured personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles in the last 2 days alone.

More background:

• Mariupol has been under siege since 1 March. On 12 April, some of the Ukrainian Marines were able to break through from the Illich plant to join the Azov Regiment at the Azovstal plant, and some were taken prisoner.
• On 20 April, the Marines and the Azov Regiment rescued 500 Ukrainian soldiers from the Mariupol sea port.
• On 19 April, the Russian Defence Ministry asked Ukrainian defenders stationed at Azovstal to lay down their arms and surrender; this was at least the third such request.
• The Russian army continues dropping heavy bombs on the Azovstal plant. On 19 April, Sviatoslav Palamar (Kalyna), Deputy Commander of the Azov Regiment, said that the Azovstal plant had been almost completely destroyed and that Ukrainian soldiers were trying to rescue people from under the rubble.
• Serhii Volynskyi, Commander of Ukraine’s 36th Independent Marine Brigade, called on foreign countries to urgently undertake an "extraction" of people from Mariupol; that is, to evacuate several hundred military personnel and civilians to a safe place in order to save them from Russian troops.