[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that it has captured the port of Mariupol, a southern city in Ukraine, and that some of the defending troops have surrendered and become prisoners of war. While most of the city of Mariupol is reported to have already fallen, Ukrainian defenders are said to be mounting a final resistance centered around certain strongholds.
According to Russia's TASS news agency on the 13th (local time), Igor Konashenkov, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Defense, stated at a briefing that "the commercial port of Mariupol has been completely liberated," and announced that "in the Ilyich steel plant area of Mariupol, due to a successful attack by the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) forces and Russian troops, 1,026 soldiers of Ukraine's 36th Marine Brigade laid down their arms and were taken prisoner."
Since the outbreak of the war, Russian forces have launched concentrated offensives on Mariupol, a strategic stronghold. In particular, Mariupol is located in the Donbas region, where the pro-Russian separatist forces DPR and the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) are based, and it connects the Crimean Peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014, to the mainland by land. There are concerns that if Mariupol falls, Russia's offensive will intensify further.
According to the Associated Press, Mariupol city authorities have stated that although the city has not yet been completely captured, it is on the brink of falling within hours. Ukrainian forces, centered around the regional defense unit Azov Regiment, are reportedly making their last stand at the Azovstal steel plant, the largest steelworks in Mariupol, and other final strongholds.
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