Mariupol Azovstal steel plant is under new attack from Russia, Ukraine says

Doubling down on previous attacks, Russia continued to fire missiles in pursuit of its mission to capture the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, shifting its specific focus to the Azovstal steel plant, which remains a hub for Ukraine.

According to The Washington Post, accusations of continued Russian aggression were made Saturday from an adviser close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“The enemy is trying to suppress the last resistance of the defenders of Mariupol,” The Post reported, Zelensky aide Oleksiy Arestovych stated in a video posted on Telegram. “Our defenders are able to endure that, despite a very difficult situation, and are even making counter-attacks.”

Anadolu Agency

The move comes after Russian leader Vladimir Putin told his troops on Thursday not to “rush into the site but block it off”, The Daily Beast reported.

“The renewed focus on Mariupol comes after Zelensky warned late on Friday that Russia posed a threat to more countries in the region, warning that the invasion of Ukraine was ‘just the beginning’ and that people Russia ‘wants to invade other countries’. The report continued.

The Daily Beast reported on Saturday that despite the efforts of Russia’s enlisted forces, they were unsuccessful in taking over the plant, despite the support of heavy artillery fire from the side. surname.

Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko accused Russian forces of “obstructing” efforts to evacuate civilians from the city on Saturday.

In another development, as of Saturday morning, 320 kilometers west of Mariupol, in the port city of Odesa, Ukraine, five people were killed by two rocket attacks, The Post reported. The strike left at least one 3-month-old baby dead.

Ukraine’s President Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, responded on Telegram to the attack, writing: “Nothing is sacred… Evil will be punished.”