Security Service of Ukraine identifies Russian general who ordered to capture Mariupol and storm Azovstal

VALENTYNA ROMANENKO – THURSDAY, 29 SEPTEMBER 2022, 10:55

The Security Service of Ukraine has identified the Russian military official who gave the order to capture the city of Mariupol and to storm one of its largest industrial sites, the Azovstal steelworks.

Source: Security Service of Ukraine

Details: It was Lieutenant General Andrey Mordvichev, commander of the 8th Guards Combined Arms Army of the Southern Military District of the Russian Federation.

According to the investigation, he was in charge of capturing the territory of Donetsk Oblast starting from February 2022. He was personally involved in hostilities against the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

He commanded the following units: the 1st People's Militia Army Corps, a number of separate motorised rifle brigades that were part of illegal armed groups of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People’s Republic", a tank battalion and the Somalia Separate Guards Motor Rifle Assault Battalion, the Sparta Separate Reconnaissance Battalion and units of the Wagner private military company (PMC).

The Security Service of Ukraine said that Mordvichev was directly involved in military planning and the coordination and control of these units and their involvement in combat operations.

In particular, he issued the order to capture the Mariupol district. It was on his orders that Russian forces destroyed critical and civilian infrastructure and killed civilians there.

Mordvichev also held an advisory meeting with Ramzan Kadyrov [the head of the Chechen Republic – ed.] on the occupied territory of Mariupol. During this meeting, they agreed a plan to capture the city, the blockade and further assault on the Azovstal plant, and the ruthless killing of Ukrainians who were still remaining on the plant’s territory.

Under Mordvichev’s supervision and control, the occupation forces carried out brutal attacks on both the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and civilians.

Lieutenant General of the Russian Armed Forces Andrey Mordvichev has been notified that he is under suspicion under three articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

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