The Azovstal steel plant is the last stand of Ukrainian troops in the besieged city of Mariupol, which is now almost entirely occupied by Russian forces.
Hundreds of civilians are believed to be hiding in bomb shelters under the industrial complex, along with soldiers, marines and medics.
The site was originally expected to be the scene of a bloody battle, with Russian forces trying to search for remaining Ukrainian forces in the tunnels below.
Putin is changing strategy
But on Thursday, President Vladimir Putin changed his strategy, canceling the Russian attack and ordering a blockade of the complex instead.
Information on the situation on the ground is weak. Most of the reports come from Russian military units that have a personal interest in seeming to have control of the site.
So, what has happened in Azovstal so far and how did this industrial facility become the last outpost in the long and brutal battle for Mariupol?
The southern port city of Mariupol is only 55 miles from Russia. Fighting began there almost as soon as Russia invaded Ukraine.
The city is of great strategic importance to Russian forces, which could use the conquered territory to form a “land bridge” between Russia and Crimea.
Azovstal Steel is a huge metallurgical plant in the city center.
In addition to industrial machinery and warehouses, the complex is housed in a network of tunnels and underground bomb shelters, where soldiers and civilians are currently hiding.
At the main entrance of the site, a Ukrainian main battle tank T-64BV was filmed on video, transported on the first day of the conflict.
The four-square-mile complex has been the target of Russian attacks since the start of the war.
On March 17, an attack on industrial buildings in a complex near the Kalmius River was filmed.
While Russian forces achieved territorial success in other parts of Mariupol, the Azovstal plant remained in Ukrainian hands.
The leader of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) said the site was one of the main centers of resistance against Russian forces in Mariupol on March 30th.
Three days later, a telegram from a channel of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadryov said his forces had launched an attack on the facility.
Chechen forces launch an attack
Chechen forces have been based in the area near the eastern end of the Azovstal plant for several weeks, according to Jane, a global intelligence company.
“It looks east, in the shallow suburbs in between [Azovstal] the factory and the countryside, the Chechens and everyone else fighting there, there were few tides: they would go forward, they would come back, “said Janes defense experts.
On April 8, another video was shared on the Internet showing damage to an area in the northern perimeter of the complex.
Sky News located the strike in a building in an industrial zone in the northern part of the plant.
Five days later, Russia announced that 1,000 soldiers from Ukraine’s 36th Marine Brigade had surrendered to its forces at the steel plant.
“Capitulation” of one of the most capable regiments in Ukraine
In a video message, the Ukrainian Azov Battalion appears to have confirmed that at least some have surrendered, but also said others have successfully joined the Azov fighters.
Regiment Azov is the Ukrainian battalion that is fighting the Russian forces in Mariupol. They are considered one of the most capable parts of Ukraine, but many of its troops are linked to the Ukrainian far right.
Footage of the alleged surrender was broadcast on Russian state television. It shows soldiers walking with their hands raised.
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0:23 Ukrainian soldiers “surrender” in Mariupol
Sky News failed to independently verify the content of the footage, but managed to locate it in Northern Mariupol.
The focus on Azovstal has grown significantly in the last week, as claims of victory in Mariupol come from Russia.
Drone footage taken on April 18 shows a destroyed building at the northern end of the plant.
On April 19, DNR forces announced a partial assault on the Azovstal plant, aided by air strikes.
The next day, social media shared footage of at least eight strikes marked with red dots on industrial buildings in part of the plant near the river.
At the time, both Chechen forces and DNR units had declared attacks on Azovstal, raising fears of a bloody massacre in the tunnels below the complex, where civilians are also trapped.
But Janes experts say that although air strikes and shelling continue, there appear to have been no major battles at the facility.
“It looks like there was a fight in the far east of the plant. But what we suspect is happening is that Ukrainians are infiltrating in small numbers and occupying positions on the outskirts of the plant in an attempt to harass the Russians, “they said.
They also question the motives behind the public reports of attacks on the site by Russian forces.
“It seems that there is an effort to put the DNR at the forefront of the conquest of Mariupol, because that is the goal of the DNR. And the Chechens have their own game. “They have to sell the war back to Chechnya,” they said.
“The most defensive position in the city”
In fact, Janes says at least 12 battalions are believed to be operating around the Azovstal area and believe it is possible that Russia’s eighth general armament unit will be responsible for the operation.
But they say Russian forces will be careful when entering the plant.
“The place is a maze. “Obviously there are underground tunnels underneath – it’s a pretty awful place to try to capture by force,” they said.
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Janes says the scattered nature of the complex is probably one of the reasons it has become the final position for Ukrainian forces.
“This is the most defensive position in the city,” they said.
“You have a whole flank covered by the sea, so you don’t have to worry about defending it so hard. It is a maze of industrial buildings and tunnels. This is, of course, the place where any competent defender would try to stand for the last time. “
President Vladimir Putin canceled the April 21 attack on Azovstal, calling the plan “impractical” in a televised conversation with his defense minister.
Instead, he ordered a blockade of the perimeter so that “a fly cannot pass.”
The decision implies “a desire to liberate Russian forces”
A defense intelligence update from the UK Ministry of Defense states that President Putin’s decision “shows a desire to release Russian forces so that they can be deployed elsewhere in eastern Ukraine”.
A video posted on Ramzan Kadryov’s channel in the Telegram on Friday claimed Azovstal’s victory, but this was not confirmed independently.
And local authorities estimate that between 300 and 1,000 civilians are still trapped in the plant’s tunnels, along with other soldiers.
It is unclear exactly how the situation will develop at this stage.
But Janes experts predict that the blockade will remain in place.
They said: “The siege seems to be the most likely outcome. The Russians will continue to use artillery and air strikes to make life miserable inside. “
Writing and reporting: Victoria Elms
Digital production: Kieran Devine
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