Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, has said that the last remaining guards were able to join forces in the besieged port city of Mariupol after a “dangerous maneuver”.
Arrestovich said Wednesday, “In Mariupol, units of the 36th Independent Navy were broken up as a result of a dangerous maneuver. [join] Azov Regiment. “
Both factions are engaged in a last-ditch effort to counter the Russian offensive against the city, which has lasted more than a month.
“This is what happens when officers maintain command and control of the troops without losing their heads,” Arrestovich said.
The details of the process cannot be confirmed by CNN independently. Members of the Marine Corps released a video statement on Tuesday saying they would remain “until the end”, despite being surrounded by Russian forces and short supply.
The Azov Regiment “received considerable reinforcements … the 36th Regiment avoided defeat and gained more serious opportunities, in fact, a second chance,” Arrestovich said on his Facebook account.
Arrestovich said that “the city’s defenders, now together, have actively strengthened their defenses.”
Amid widespread devastation, the city’s guards are fighting to capture parts of the harbor, some 100,000 civilians, and Azovstal, a large steel mill located on the eastern outskirts of Mariupol.
The Russian military said in a statement on Wednesday that 1,026 Ukrainian sailors, including 162 officers and 47 women service members, had surrendered near the iron and steel works in Mariupol, a claim that could not be verified.
Russia has focused on a serious campaign effort in the war for Mariupol, claiming to have seized key positions in the city, despite continued occupation by Ukrainian forces.
Some background: An independent analysis of Mariupol’s situation released on Sunday by the Institute for War Research assesses that Mariupol’s security has reached a critical juncture.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zhelensky said “Tens of thousands” have died in MariupolAn image that cannot be verified independently.
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