Putin wants to show off a major win before Russia’s Victory Day on May 9. A total defeat of Mariupol would give Russia a land bridge in eastern Ukraine, a key port and a propaganda win after two months of setbacks in its assault on Ukraine.
Berdyansk located almost 50 miles west, Russians attacked from the east and west, encircling the city.An airstrike hit a theater where hundreds were taking shelter. The Russians continued shelling and advancing on the city.control of the city, as Ukrainians hold the Azovstal steel plant, where hundreds of civilians are gathered.— faltered, and Russian forces surged deeper into the city.
By the start of this week, it was clear that Ukrainian fighters were making their last stand at the steel plant, where a commanderFor both Ukraine and Russia, Mariupol holds symbolic significance. Ukrainian troops and forces backed by Moscow have vied for control of the city before. In 2014, after war broke out over eastern Ukraine, Russian-backed separatists took Mariupol briefly before Kyiv’s troops won it back that June.
A Russian victory would make Mariupol the first major Ukrainian city to fall since the February invasion, delivering Putin a propaganda boost. But Mariupol is also notable for how long Ukrainian forces were able to defend it, Charap said.
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