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Dead or captive.

And even if the second case occurs, probably in the end also dead.

Such a fatal fate is faced by the forces that for weeks have kept part of the urban center of Mariupol under Ukrainian control, and that now face, as its president has recalled, a final battle for the port city in the east of the country.

For the time being,

, tightening the siege on the defenders even more.

This was stated by the leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Denis Pushilin.

For his part, Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky admitted that things are not going well in Mariupol, blocked by Russian troops since March 1.

"The occupants," he asserted, "don't even allow food and water to be shipped."

It is just one part of Ukraine's grand offensive in the east, with, according to Zelensky,

In one video, a Ukrainian soldier stealthily climbs onto the roof of a Mariupol building, meticulously takes aim at a Russian tank with the man-portable missile slung over his shoulder, pulls the trigger, and turns the metal monster into scrap metal.

Actions like this, in which a militiaman emerges like a specter from an impossible corner to hit the enemy, have been essential both in the battle for kyiv, which the Ukrainians won last week, and in Mariupol today.

However, after long agonizing days resisting the attacks of some Russians ready to shatter one of the jewels on the shores of the Black Sea, some cadres of the Ukrainian army are clear:

," members of the 36th Marine Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a statement posted on social media, according to Agence France Presse.

According to the message, critical and therefore it is not clear if it had the approval of the high command,

, subjected to one of the most savage bombings that are remembered in recent decades.

"It will be death for some of us and captivity for the rest," they said, after admitting that enemy forces have been constantly eating away at them.

annihilated

The defenders, who include members of the far-right Azov battalion, went further, declaring that "the mountain of wounded equals more than half the brigade. Those who have not lost limbs return to battle. The infantry was all annihilated and gunners, anti-aircraft machine gun operators, radio technicians, drivers and cooks participate in the shooting battles. Even the orchestra," he settled, accusing their leaders of stopping supporting them.

Hours later, at a press conference, Colonel Oleksandr Motuzyankuk, spokesman for the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense and someone especially discreet when detailing the events on the battlefield, avoided making specific references to said statement:

he explained to journalists.

"We must understand that the Ukrainian army is in a defensive position, considering all the risks and factors. Each side carries out its actions. The situation can change dynamically. It is not worth putting the focus [...] I can say no we are going to allow that to happen," he concluded, regarding the critical situation in Mariupol.

Thousands of people have been evacuated in recent weeks from that town, more than ever at the mercy of Russian troops.

For the invaders, taking Mariupol is a matter of pride and revenge

.

In the summer of 2014, Donbas separatists stormed centers of power in the city to gain control.

The street battle waged with the Ukrainian forces, with the support of the paramilitaries of the Azov group, resulted in at least a dozen deaths, including allegedly unarmed people.

For the attackers, the siege of Mariupol is revenge for those deeds.

"Mariupol has been destroyed, there are tens of thousands of dead, and despite this the Russians do not stop their offensive," Zelensky protested bitterly during a video appearance outside the South Korean parliament.

As on previous occasions, the Ukrainian leader

.

Of any type.

Seoul has approved shipments of non-lethal material, but has rejected sending anti-aircraft systems because, according to the AP agency, it would harm its "military preparedness posture."

"Russian troops are going to go on to even bigger operations in the east of our country. They can use even more missiles against us, even more aerial bombs," the leader recalled in a statement.

Aware of this, the Ukrainians are preparing for a close decisive battle, in which the urban guerrilla strategies of kyiv will be insufficient.

In the Donbas, without large population centers,

.

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