[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the Ukrainian military refused to withdraw troops from Mariupol, and Russia plans to continue its attack to capture Mariupol. As the fiercest battleground between the two countries' forces, there are growing concerns about increasing civilian casualties in Mariupol.
According to Russian Interfax news agency on the 5th (local time), Igor Konashenkov, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Defense, stated, "Since the Ukrainian government shows no concern for preserving the lives of its soldiers, Russian forces and the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) troops will liberate Mariupol from the nationalists (Ukrainian military)."
He added, "We proposed to the Ukrainian military to cease fighting from 6 a.m. Moscow time today, lay down their arms, and leave the city through a coordinated corridor into Ukrainian-controlled territory. However, this proposal continues to be ignored by the Ukrainian government."
Earlier, on the 20th of last month, the Russian Ministry of Defense also issued a final ultimatum to the Ukrainian forces in Mariupol to lay down their weapons and leave the city, but the Ukrainian side rejected it.
Mariupol is a strategic key point located on the route connecting the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, which declared independence, and the Crimean Peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014. It is considered the largest battleground between the two countries. If Mariupol is captured, Russia will control the entire southeastern region from Donbas to Crimea, leading to concentrated attacks by Russian forces.
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