With an eye patch: the drawn Mariupol commander reports on ZDF about “heavy losses”

Created: 05/11/2022, 10:45 p.m

By: Patrick Mayer

Illia Samoilenko: Lieutenant of the Ukrainian fighters entrenched in the Mariupol Steel Plant.

© Screenshot/ZDF

In the "heute journal" ZDF shows photos of severely injured Ukrainian fighters from Mariupol, while the Russian attacks on the steelworks continue.

The commander reports on the dramatic situation.

Munich/Mariupol - In the conflict with Russia, it was probably a very difficult day for the Ukrainian armed forces.

As their military leadership announced this Wednesday (May 11), there are currently no plans for an offensive in the direction of Mariupol to free the Ukrainian fighters entrenched in a huge steel works.

At war with Russia: Ukraine does not plan offensive to liberate Mariupol militants

According to Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, around 1,000 defenders are still in the factory, half of whom are injured or wounded, she said.

But a rescue offensive is not planned.

In the past few days, at least around 500 civilians have been evacuated from the steelworks via escape corridors during ceasefires.

The marines, national guardsmen and volunteer fighters who are still holed up in the factory have recently repeatedly asked the international community to evacuate them to a third country.

Russia, on the other hand, demands their surrender, that the fighters go into captivity.

In the video: Compact - The most important news about the Russia-Ukraine war

"As of today, such a deblocking operation would require a significant number of troops, because Ukrainian forces are 150-200 kilometers from Mariupol," said Deputy Chief of General Staff Oleksiy Hromov.

In addition, the Russian troops had built powerful defenses around the completely destroyed city on the Azov Sea, Hromov explained.

Such an action by the army would cost many lives.

On day 77 of the Russia-Ukraine war, ZDF's "heute journal" now showed photos in its program that are said to show severely injured Ukrainian fighters in the steelworks.

Several of them had amputated arms or legs.

And not only that. ZDF also showed a video sequence of an interview with a soldier named Illia Samoilenko, who is reportedly a lieutenant in the ultra-nationalist Ukrainian Azov regiment in Mariupol.

We have to take heavy losses.

Every day can be our last.

Illia Samoilenko, Lieutenant Ukrainian Regiment in Mariupol

Ukraine war: Mariupol lieutenant describes the dramatic situation in the steel mill

Samoilenko once again described the dramatic conditions behind the thick steel walls: "We have to accept heavy losses.

Every day can be our last.

We have little provisions left.

Which could lead to our imminent death.

Or that we will be captured by the enemy, which also means our deaths," he says in the video.

The lieutenant wears an eye patch and a long full beard in the video interview.

He looks very drawn.

Most recently, the Azov regiment, which is part of the National Guard, and the besieged Ukrainian marines repeatedly missed the opportunity to surrender.

While the world continues to gaze spellbound towards Mariupol.