Adviser to Ukrainian President Alexei Arestovich said that after a “risky maneuver”, the last remaining defenders of the besieged port city of Mariupol have managed to join forces.
Arestovic said on Wednesday that “in Mariupol, as a result of a risky maneuver, parts of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade broke through to [join] Azov Regiment.
Both units took part in a recent attempt to resist the Russian offensive against the city, which lasted more than a month.
“This happens when the officers do not lose their heads, but firmly maintain the command and control of the troops,” Arestovic said.
CNN cannot confirm the details of the operation on its own. Marines released a video statement Tuesday saying they would hold out “until the end”, despite being surrounded by Russian forces and running out of supplies.
In his Facebook account, Arestovich said that the Azov Regiment “received significant reinforcements … the 36th Brigade avoided defeat and received additional serious opportunities, in fact winning a second chance.”
Arestovic claims that “the defenders of the city, now together, have seriously strengthened their defensive zone.”
Defenders of the city, where some 100,000 civilians remain trapped amid widespread devastation, are struggling to hold back parts of the port and Azovstal, a giant steel factory located on the eastern outskirts of Mariupol.
The Russian military said in a statement Wednesday that 1,026 Ukrainian marines – including 162 officers and 47 women servicemen – had surrendered near the Ilyich Ironworks in Mariupol, an allegation that cannot be verified.
Russia has focused intense propaganda efforts on the battle of Mariupol, claiming to have taken key positions in the city, although Ukrainian forces remain.
A bit of background: An independent analysis of the situation in Mariupol on Sunday, published by the Institute for the Study of War, estimates that Mariupol’s defense has reached a critical stage.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said “tens of thousands” had died in Mariupol, a figure that cannot be verified independently.
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