Up to a thousand civilians are hiding in the shelters of the Azovstal steel plant, waiting for the Russian assault. Whatsapp data from the New York Times tells of the plight of the soldiers.
Riikka Kajander,
Sara Rigatelli
19.4. 18:47 • Updated April 20th. 09:07
The Azovstal factory site has become the last refuge for Ukrainian troops and civilians in Mariupol, Ukraine.
Under the factory are extensive underground shelters, hiding at least a thousand civilians, mostly women, children and the elderly, says Mariupol City Council.
Azovstal is one of the largest metal factories in Europe: it covers an area of more than 11 square kilometers.
A spokesman for the Donetsk separatist region said Tuesday that Russian troops have launched an attack on the factory site. The same message was conveyed by an adviser to the mayor of Mariupol.
However, information on the situation is unclear.
A war analyst from Kiev Oleh Zhdanov told the news agency Reuters the plant was “a huge area with so many buildings that the Russians simply can’t find Ukrainian troops.”
According to Zhdanov, Russian troops have begun planning a chemical strike to force the remaining Ukrainians out of their shelters. Russia and the separatists it supports have denied using chemical weapons.
The soldiers did not reveal their whereabouts, but the newspaper says they are forced to be in the factory because it is the last place Ukraine will defend in Mariupol.
The men sat in sackcloth and said they were besieged.
– They’re bombarding us with everything they can. Even now, as we speak, they fire at us from the air and drop bombs. Tell America they’re helping us, Gasimiksi introduced himself as a Ukrainian soldier told a newspaper reporter.
The soldiers said they hoped that Ukrainian troops would be able to come to their rescue.
“Our only plan is for our own troops to break the siege so we can get out of here,” Gasim said.
Russia has demanded Ukrainian troops leave the factory and surrender. Soldiers who spoke to the New York Times refused to surrender.
However, they admitted that they had little more to fight and that time was running out. The soldiers said their ammunition and supplies were in short supply and it was difficult to get out of the shelter due to the intense bombing.
– we are fighting a difficult fight against the enemy, we are protecting our country and our people and our culture, our right to self-determination, Defendant-old soldier told the newspaper.
Gagin described the plant as “a city under the city,” and acknowledged that Russia’s attempt to take over the area has been hampered by its advanced network of corridors, basements, and communications systems.
A spokesman for Metinvest, which owns the plant, said the plant’s bunkers have been in good condition since 2014, when separatists first tried to occupy Mariupol.
According to the spokesperson, the bunkers can accommodate up to 4,000 people.
During the peacetime, Azovstal’s iron and steel plant produced four million tonnes of steel, 3.5 million tonnes of hot metal and 1.2 million tonnes of rolled steel per year.
Supplemented with New York Times data on April 20, 2022 at 8.58 and CNN data at 9.07. Added at 7.29 a note that according to both the separatist leader and the mayor’s adviser, the assault has begun.
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