President Vladimir Putin called off plans for the Russian military to storm the sprawling Azovstal steel plant in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol and said on Thursday he wanted Ukrainian forces there to be hermetically sealed in instead.

The full capture of Mariupol, which has been besieged by Russian forces for weeks, is a central part of Moscow's plans to cut Ukraine off from the Sea of Azov and forge a land bridge connecting Russian-annexed Crimea to Russia.

Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Russia's Chechnya region whose forces have been fighting in Mariupol, had suggested that the vast Azovstal facility, which covers more than 11 square kilometres (4.25 square miles), would be stormed after Ukrainian forces holed up inside ignored Russian offers to surrender.
But Putin, in a Kremlin meeting with Sergei Shoigu, his defence minister, gave the order to call off the plan to storm it, saying it was better to save the lives of Russian soldiers and officers and to sit back and wait while Ukrainian forces ran out of supplies.

"I consider the proposed storming of the industrial zone unnecessary," Putin told Shoigu in a televised meeting at the Kremlin. "I order you to cancel it.

There is no need to climb into these catacombs and crawl underground through these industrial facilities," he told Shoigu.

"Block off this industrial area so that a fly cannot not pass through."

Putin called on the remaining Ukrainian fighters in Azovstal to lay down their arms, saying Russia would treat them with respect and provide medical assistance to those injured.

Shoigu had earlier told Putin that more than 2,000 Ukrainian fighters were still holed up in the plant and that it might take three or four days to take control of the facility.

Shoigu told Putin that Mariupol had symbolic importance for Russia because it was what he called the de facto headquarters of the far-right nationalist Azov battalion which Moscow has promised to destroy.

The Azovstal iron and steel works, one of Europe's biggest metallurgical plants, lies in an industrial area that looks out to the Sea of Azov. It houses a multitude of buildings, blast furnaces and rail tracks and has extensive underground facilities too.

'THEY ARE HEROES'

Putin congratulated his defence minister for what he called the successful military operation to "liberate Mariupol" and asked him to pass on his thanks to Russian troops.

"I want them all to know: in our minds, in the minds of all of Russia, they are heroes," Putin said.

Russia is due to celebrate its annual victory day holiday on May 9, when it commemorates the World War Two Soviet victory over Nazi Germany and is likely to hold up the full capture of Mariupol when it happens as proof that it is making gains in Ukraine despite heavy losses.

Shoigu told Putin that Russia had killed more than 4,000 Ukrainian troops in its campaign to take Mariupol and that 1,478 had given themselves up. He said Russia had evacuated 142,711 civilians from the city too.

Putin asked Shoigu for his ministry to come up with new proposals on supporting Russian troops fighting in Ukraine.

"We need to think about additional support measures, and in some cases, about perpetuating the memory of our comrades who showed heroism and sacrificed their lives for the peaceful life of our people in Donbas (eastern Ukraine) and to ensure the peaceful life and existence of Russia itself, the peaceful existence of our country," Putin said.

Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 in what it called a special military operation to degrade its southern neighbour's military capabilities and root out people it called dangerous nationalists.

Ukrainian forces have mounted stiff resistance and the West has imposed sweeping sanctions on Moscow in an effort to force it to withdraw its forces.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-putin-mariupol/putin-cancels-russian-plans-to-storm-mariupol-steel-plant-opts-for-blockade-instead-idUSKCN2MD0HD

Foolish man

The stupid war. Russia is just a paper tiger

That's victory to the Azov battalion!!! Victory to Ukraine!!!

Congratulations to them for holding out all the way...

Mariupol remains Ukrainian territory...

Russia is very much interested in that plant hence the reluctance to bombard it

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AJSfan:
Russia is very much interested in that plant hence the reluctance to bombard it

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Nonsense talk!!!

They have already bombarded with all kinds of bombs except nuclear bombs. Even that one too won't do anything.

Pro-Putin loooonatic never disappoint...

Opolopoopolonio:
[s][/s]

Nonsense talk!!!

They have already bombarded with all kinds of bombs except nuclear bombs. Even that one too won't do anything.

Pro-Putin loooonatic never disappoint...

olodo and the plants are still standing and humans are still surviving there. Only a CNN brainwashed folk reasons this way. Russia has kept giving ultimatum for the Azov fighters there to surrender and now they are resorting to cutting off supplies instead of just leveling the whole place down with missiles as promised. Jt doesn't take someone with brain to piece it together

AJSfan:
olodo and the plants are still standing and humans are still surviving there. Only a CNN brainwashed folk reasons this way. Russia has kept giving ultimatum for the Azov fighters there to surrender and now they are resorting to cutting off supplies instead of just leveling the whole place down with missiles as promised. Jt doesn't take someone with brain to piece it together

Chai!!! Pro-Putin loooonatics can be so adamant

Just tune in to Al Jazeera before coming here to argue nonsense.

AJSfan:
olodo and the plants are still standing and humans are still surviving there. Only a CNN brainwashed folk reasons this way. Russia has kept giving ultimatum for the Azov fighters there to surrender and now they are resorting to cutting off supplies instead of just leveling the whole place down with missiles as promised. Jt doesn't take someone with brain to piece it together

Supplies have been cut for almost a month. Azovstal shelter is designed as shield from nuclear attack. It has a lot of tunnels with multiple exit points.
What you ask yourself why Putin obsessed with Mauripol? 90% of Mauripol has been destroyed. Russians who are residents of Mauripol are also victims. About 40% of them. It is evil enemies that must destroy cities in order to capture and rule them.

They are hiding in a nuke bunker meaning it’s a waste of time bombing it because it was built by USSR to withstand all kind of bombs and since no supplies can get to that plant then either those guys dead inside or they come out by themselves after foods runs down.
What we don’t know is how long can the foods and water already in the plant last, 6M or 1 year.

seunny4lif:
They are hiding in a nuke bunker meaning it’s a waste of time bombing it because it was built by USSR to withstand all kind of bombs and since no supplies can get to that plant then either those guys dead inside or they come out by themselves after foods runs down.
What we don’t know is how long can the foods and water already in the plant last, 6M or 1 year.

I read reports that Russia can just connect pipe from the black sea and flood the bunker since that is where all the Azov troops ran into. Or just use chemical weapon or roast them. But seems russia still cares about international law. So instead of sending troops into the huge tunnel, let them starve.
Russia should focus on other places now

MangekyoAlt:

I read reports that Russia can just connect pipe from the black sea and flood the bunker since that is where all the Azov troops ran into. Or just use chemical weapon or roast them. But seems russia still cares about international law. So instead of sending troops into the huge tunnel, let them starve.
Russia should focus on other places now

I can't understand how pro-Putin loooonatics are more Putin than Putin himself.

I watched Putin order the plant be left alone to preserve the lives of Russian soldiers.

So many Russians have perished in the war already.

Opolopoopolonio:


I can't understand how pro-Putin loooonatics are more Putin than Putin himself.

I watched Putin order the plant be left alone to preserve the lives of Russian soldiers.

So many Russians have perished in the war already.

You are totally right. Why send in troops into some dark tunnels that Ukrainian troops have littered with booby traps and set up defensive positions in when you know you can just leave them to starve to death or when you know you just have to sit out and they'll surrender since they no longer have access supplies? No matter how highly trained troops are, hundreds will die the moment they step into that bunker. It's like going to fight the devil in his domain.
The war isn't over. So many of those troops can be diverted to other fronts so Putin is a good strategists for giving the orders he gave

Opolopoopolonio:


I can't understand how pro-Putin loooonatics are more Putin than Putin himself.

I watched Putin order the plant be left alone to preserve the lives of Russian soldiers.

So many Russians have perished in the war already.

You are not really an intelligent person..

paafin:


You are not really an intelligent person..

Come on, shut up!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgsBflJNZ-o

Putin orders Russian troops not to storm Mariupol's Azovstal steel plant; 'seal the zone' completely

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: I believe it would be inadvisable to storm this industrial zone. I order you to cancel it. This is the case when we have to prioritise preserving the lives and health of our soldiers and officers. Of course, this is our constant priority, but even more so in this case. There is no need to penetrate these catacombs and crawl under these industrial facilities. Seal off the industrial zone completely. You must offer all those who have not laid down their weapons to do so. Russia guarantees them their lives and dignity as per the relevant international legal instruments. All the wounded will get medical assistance.