War in Ukraine: Attack on Mariupol - but still civilians in the steel mill

Created: 05/12/2022, 04:52

By: Julius Fastnacht, Helena Gries, Tobias Utz, Teresa Toth, Tanja Banner, Nail Akkoyun, Andreas Apetz, Lucas Maier

Russian troops have apparently attacked the steelworks in Mariupol again.

There should still be civilians there.

• Civilians in the steel mill

  :

  Russia's President Vladimir Putin is calling on Kiev to surrender in Mariupol.

  The steel mill is still competitive.

• Mariupol as a "holiday resort":

  Separatist leader has tourism plans

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  This one on the Ukraine war is constantly updated.

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Read more about the war in Ukraine here.

Update from Tuesday, May 10, 7:00 a.m .:

Contrary to reports about the complete evacuation of all civilians from the Azovstal plant in the Ukrainian port of Mariupol, which was besieged by Russian troops, around 100 civilians are said to be still there.

In addition, around 100,000 people were still in the badly damaged city, said regional head of administration Pavlo Kyrylenko on Monday evening (May 9).

"It's hard to say which of them wants to leave the city," he was quoted as saying by Ukrajinska Pravda.

Ukrainian troops are said to have entrenched themselves in the steelworks, the last bastion in Mariupol.

Around 100 civilians are said to be still staying at the Asovstal steel plant in Mariupol.

© Cover Images/Imago Images

War in Ukraine: Apparently a new attack on the steel works in Mariupol – tanks and soldiers in action

+++ 6.30 p.m .:

The attacks in eastern Ukraine do not seem to abate.

The Ukrainian armed forces continue to vehemently defend the Azovstal steel plant against a Russian attack in Mariupol, the BBC reported.

Odessa is also still under Russian fire.

The Black Sea port city was hit with rockets during the visit of EU Council President Charles Michel.

According to Ukrainian information, four rockets fired from the annexed Crimean peninsula had already hit the country on Monday morning.

In addition, according to the BBC, the governor of Mykolayiv reported that the region had experienced more attacks than usual during the night.

In the area south of the country, several people were killed and surprised.

War in Ukraine: Apparently new attack on steel works in Mariupol

+++ 4.30 p.m .:

The Ukrainian army has reported another attempt to storm the steelworks in Mariupol by Russian forces.

Among other things, tanks and artillery are used for this purpose, according to Olexandr Motusjanyk, spokesman for the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.

He did not give any further details of the attack.

However, he emphasized that further airstrikes are also possible.

Ukraine war: Mariupol as 'holiday spot' - Separatist leader has tourism plans

+++ 3:00 p.m .:

Dennis Puschilin, head of the self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Donetsk, wants to turn the port city of Mariupol, which has been under siege for weeks, into a “holiday resort”.

“Russia is here forever and you are finally home.

This is now forever the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic.

Nobody will take it away from us," Puschilin said after attending events on Victory Day.

As reported by CNN, Puschilin justified the plans with possible jobs in the region.

"We have strength, we have opportunities, we have the support of the largest and most beautiful country - Russia," Pushilin told Mariupol residents, according to the Russian state news agency TASS.

"The task is to make Mariupol a holiday resort, which has not been possible before." There has been fighting over the Mariupol steel mill for some time.

This mentioned Puschilin only marginally.

War in Ukraine: situation in Mariupol remains dramatic

+++ 11.30 a.m .:

The situation in the besieged Mariupol steelworks remains very tense.

Renewed attacks by the Russian army are feared.

"Giving up is not an option because Russia doesn't care about our lives," said Ilya Samoylenko, an officer in the Azov regiment.

President Zelenskyj meanwhile commented on a possible liberation of the imprisoned people inside.

Ukraine war: Selenskyj considers liberation from steelworks in Mariupol impossible

Update from Monday, May 9, 7:00 a.m .:

The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj currently considers the liberation of the port city of Mariupol, which is occupied by Russian troops, to be impossible.

"Ukraine does not have enough heavy weapons to liberate Mariupol by military means," Zelenskyy said at a press conference with Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who traveled to Kyiv on Sunday (May 7) for a solidarity visit.

At least it was possible through diplomatic channels to get civilians out of the besieged Azovstal steelworks, Zelensky said.

For the remaining Ukrainian soldiers, however, an evacuation would be difficult.

"Russian soldiers, the Russian army, the army command and the political leadership of the Russian Federation do not want to let our soldiers out," said the Ukrainian leader.

Kyiv has asked Turkey, Israel, France, Switzerland, the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross to mediate.

The head of the Moscow Patriarchate's largest Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Onufri, recently asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to allow Ukrainian soldiers to leave

War in Ukraine: Selenskyj hopes for rescue of soldiers in steel mill

Update from Sunday, May 8th, 6:20 a.m.:

 After the evacuation of the last civilians from the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol, Ukraine is hoping for the rescue of its wounded and soldiers.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyj spoke on Saturday evening of a possible second phase of the evacuation that is being prepared.

Russian forces, meanwhile, continued to attack the factory, which is the last Ukrainian bastion in the largely devastated port city.

Ukraine war: 'All women, children and old people' evacuated from Mariupol steel mill

+++ 10:50 p.m .:

Deputy Ukrainian Prime Minister Iryna Wereshchuk wrote a letter to the organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and asked them to evacuate and provide medical care to the soldiers entrenched in the Azov steelworks in Mariupol.

Defenders of the huge industrial complex have been "under constant bombardment and attacks by the Russian army" for 72 days, and "lack of medicines, water and food, the wounded soldiers are dying of gangrene and blood poisoning," the statement said.

The organization should help the soldiers whose "human rights are violated by the Russian Federation".

+++ 9:20 p.m .:

After “all women, children and old people” were evacuated from the Azovstal steelworks near Mariupol, the commander of the 36th Ukrainian naval brigade, Serhiy Volyna, draws attention to the fate of the people who are still in stop the steelworks, which is besieged and repeatedly attacked by Russian troops.

Volyna is asking the world to make "every effort" to evacuate the remaining Ukrainian soldiers.

It seems like "a hell of a reality show" but "everything is real," the Kyiv Independent quoted Volyna as saying.

There is “pain, suffering, hunger, torment, tears, fear and death”.

Ukraine war: 'All women, children and old people' evacuated from Mariupol steel mill

+++ 6.30 p.m .:

There is good news around the Azovstal steelworks in the port city of Mariupol: “All women, children and old people” were evacuated from the steelworks, according to Deputy Ukrainian Prime Minister Iryna Wereschuk.

"The President's order was carried out," Vereshchuk said.

"This part of the humanitarian operation in Mariupol has been completed."

Ukrainian troops sink Russian landing craft

+++ 17.43:

As the government in Ukraine announced, Ukrainian troops shot down a landing craft of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

"An enemy Serna-type landing craft was destroyed in the waters of the Black Sea," press chief of the Odessa military administration Serhiy Brachuk said via Telegram.

He attached a video to the message, which is said to show the ship being shot at by a drone.

Ukraine War: Russia takes Odessa under rocket fire

+++ 1.40 p.m .:

The main events of the Ukraine war are taking place in the east of the country.

But the west of the country is also affected.

According to local authorities, four Russian rockets fell in Odessa Oblast.

This is the area around the port city of Odessa in the southwest of the country.

Infrastructure was damaged, but no one was injured.

War in Ukraine: Situation around Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol remains critical

+++ 18.30:

Relatives of soldiers trapped in the Azov steelworks have appealed to the international community to save their men.

At a press conference in Kyiv, seven women asked not only civilians to be allowed to flee.

Soldiers should also be given the opportunity to leave the steelworks in a safe place.

The women, some in tears, begged to take the trapped men to a third country.

Ukraine War: Russia suffers casualties in Battle of Mariupol

+++ 10.10 a.m .:

According to British intelligence experts, the Russian troops in Ukraine suffered heavy losses in their storming of the Azowstal plant in the badly damaged port city of Mariupol.

Russia wants to capture the steelworks, the last bastion of the defenders of Mariupol, probably for the victory celebrations on May 9, the British Ministry of Defense said in a statement on Friday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin wishes symbolic success in Ukraine on the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany.

But Russia had to pay for this with high losses of soldiers, material and ammunition.

Meanwhile, it was hoped on Friday that civilians would be evacuated from the steelworks again.

According to Ukrainian information, around 200 civilians are still waiting there for a chance to get to safety.

In two previous evacuations, mediated by the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, about 500 people from Mariupol and the surrounding area were taken to Zaporizhia in Ukrainian-controlled territory.

Ukraine War: Ukrainian forces launch counteroffensive

Update from Friday, May 6th, 6:30

a.m.: According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Russian army has used missiles against various targets in its war against Ukraine in 2014.

Selenskyj announced this in his daily video speech on Friday night.

In addition, since the start of the Russian army's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2,682 airstrikes have already been registered.

"Each of these operations means the death of our people, the destruction of our infrastructure."

Ukraine war: Russia changes strategy

+++ 3.45 p.m .:

Russia is apparently changing its military strategy in the Donbass.

Meanwhile, video footage released by US broadcaster CNN shows the extent of the destruction in Ukraine.

Ukraine war: Zelenskyy appeals to UNO over steel plant in Mariupol

Update from Thursday, May 5, 6:45 a.m .:

With a Russian ceasefire in sight, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has called on the UN to save the lives of the injured stuck in the Azov steelworks in Mariupol and to help with their evacuation.

“The lives of the people who are still there are in danger.

Everyone is important to us," Zelenskyi said in a phone conversation with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday.

First report from Tuesday, May 3rd, 9.15 a.m .:

In the international airspace off the island of Rügen there is a scandal: German Air Force Eurofighters are pushing a Russian military aircraft away.

(jf/tu/lm with dpa/AFP)