Russian President Vladimir Putin tried to claim victory in the strategic port of Mariupol on Thursday, even as he ordered his troops not to storm the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in the war's iconic battleground.
Russian troops have besieged the southeastern city since the early days of the conflict and largely pulverized it - and top officials have repeatedly indicated it was about to fall, but Ukrainian forces stubbornly held on. In recent weeks, they holed up in a sprawling steel plant, and Russian forces pounded the industrial site and repeatedly issued ultimatums ordering the defenders to surrender.
Even though Putin painted the mission to take Mariupol already a success and said the city had been"liberated," until the plant falls, he cannot declare a complete victory. The scale of suffering in the city on the Azov Sea has made it a worldwide focal point, and its definitive fall would deprive Ukraine of a vital port, complete a land bridge between Russia and the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow seized in 2014, and free up Russian troops to move elsewhere in the Donbas.
"This could affect how quickly and forcefully they attempt to conduct operations in the run-up to this date," the ministry said. In the meantime, Western powers are doubling down on their support of Ukraine, moving to push more military hardware in, heightening geopolitical stakes. In a video address, Zelenskyy said the Russians were not"abandoning their attempts to score at least some victory by launching a new, large-scale offensive."
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Putin tries to claim victory in Mariupol, but orders Russian troops not to storm Ukrainian holdoutRussian President Vladimir Putin tried to claim victory in the strategic port of Mariupol on Thursday, even as he ordered his troops not to storm the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance.
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Putin tries to claim Mariupol win but won't storm holdoutRussian President Vladimir Putin ordered his forces not to storm the last remaining Ukrainian stronghold in the besieged city of Mariupol on Thursday but instead to block it 'so that not even a fly comes through':
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Putin tries to claim Mariupol win but won't storm Ukraine holdoutPutin is claiming victory in Mariupol, even as he ordered his troops not to storm the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in the the war’s iconic battleground.
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