“Refuses to recognize reality”: how Zelensky intends to save the “defenders” of Mariupol

The President of Ukraine promised to make every effort to rescue the country's military personnel who are in Mariupol.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this in a video message following a meeting with the heads of law enforcement agencies of the republic.

“The main topic is Mariupol.

Details cannot be made public at this time.

But we are doing everything to save our people,” the Ukrainian leader said.

According to him, the situation in Mariupol was discussed with Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny, Chief of the General Staff Sergei Shaptala, Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate Kirill Budanov, Commander of the National Guard Yuriy Lebed, Interior Minister Denis Monastyrsky and Head of the SBU Ivan Bakanov.

According to experts interviewed by RT, speaking of “our people”, Zelensky meant military personnel and nationalists who still continue to resist the Russian army in Mariupol.

Pointless resistance

According to Kyiv, military operations in the city are carried out by servicemen of the 36th Marine Brigade, a separate special forces detachment "Azov", the 12th operational brigade of the National Guard, employees of the 555th military hospital, units of the State Border Service and the National Police, as well as "volunteers ” from the “Right Sector” *.

On April 10, in an interview with the Associated Press, Volodymyr Zelensky said that the resistance offered by the "defenders" of Mariupol allegedly allows Kiev to maintain a strong position in the Donbass and more confidently negotiate with the Russian Federation.

“Mariupol is the heart of this war today.

It beats, we fight, we are strong.

If it stops beating, we will have a weaker position.

They (the defenders of Mariupol. -

) are people who have pulled over a large number of the enemy.

The stronger our position in Mariupol, the stronger our position in the east of the state will be.

And our positions will be stronger in the JFO (Joint Forces Operations. -

),” Zelensky said.

Meanwhile, as analysts state, the “garrisons” of the city have been in a difficult situation for the last two or three weeks.

They lack water, food and ammunition.

“The Ukrainian authorities are actively glorifying the so-called defenders of Mariupol, using them for propaganda purposes.

Zelensky and other statesmen refuse to publicly acknowledge the reality that the resources of the nationalists and the forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine that still remain in Mariupol are running out.

Their further resistance is absolutely pointless, ”Dmitry Litovkin, editor of the Independent Military Review newspaper, emphasized in a commentary to RT.

At the same time, the servicemen and Azov people themselves, who continue to conduct military operations against the advancing Russian troops and militia, do not hide the fact that their situation is close to critical.

So, on April 15, the commander of the Marines of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade, Major Serhiy Volyn, said in an interview with Ukrayinska Pravda that Kyiv must conduct an urgent military operation to deblockade or find a political solution, since the situation for Ukrainian troops worsens every day.

On April 14, a video message with claims to the authorities of the country was distributed by the deputy commander of Azov, Svyatoslav Palamar.

He demanded that Kyiv immediately break the blockade of Mariupol.

According to him, the formation does not receive outside help, and the number of personnel is reduced.

Formally, Zelensky does not reject the need to unblock the "defenders" of Mariupol.

However, for such an operation, the Ukrainian army needs more impressive military-technical assistance from the West, as the President of the country stated in his video message on the night of April 12.

“And to fulfill those tasks that are obvious to each of our people.

In particular, to unblock Mariupol.

If we got planes and enough heavy armored vehicles, the necessary artillery, we could do it.

But... It still has to be negotiated.

Still have to be convinced.

We still have to squeeze out the necessary decisions,” Zelensky said.

At the moment, of the three large pockets of resistance that existed in early April in Mariupol, only one remains - the Azovstal metallurgical plant, whose workshops were previously mined by radicals.

Together with the nationalists, NATO instructors are present at the plant.

The central part of the city was cleared by Russian units and DPR militias on April 7, and the port was completely liberated on the 13th.

According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, with the establishment of control over the sea harbor, all hostages were released, including foreign citizens who were held by the Azov people.

The remnants of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and nationalists located in Mariupol "are blocked and deprived of the opportunity to escape from the encirclement."

In addition, more than 1,000 servicemen of the 36th Marine Brigade stationed at the Ilyich plant and other enterprises of the city have recently laid down their arms.

Among those who surrendered were foreign mercenaries and women.

• Captured Ukrainian soldiers in Mariupol

In an interview with RT, the commander of the Vostok battalion of the DPR Ministry of Internal Affairs, Alexander Khodakovsky, said that the group of marines of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who was at the Ilyich plant, surrendered because it was in a hopeless situation.

“Since these are not residential areas, but an industrial zone, we were not shy in choosing a caliber and methods of suppressing resistance.

As a result, the enemy was left with only one choice: to die or raise his hands and surrender.

Someone tried to break through, but we blocked this attempt,” Khodakovsky said.

As the military leader says, in the near future it is necessary to “calmly and methodically “finish” the territory of the Ilyich plant.

He stressed that the "defenders" of Mariupol should not count on the delivery of ammunition, medicines and food - "the Ukrainian military, who have not yet surrendered, simply postponed the defeat that awaits them."

According to RT war correspondent Murad Gazdiev, some nationalists and soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are trying to leave Mariupol under the guise of civilians.

The RF Armed Forces and militias regularly detain dozens of servicemen and militants dressed in civilian clothes.

They are distinguished by characteristic traces from wearing body armor and recoil of the butt of a weapon when firing.

Along with this, the "defenders" of Mariupol do not give up attempts to break through with armed forces from the blocked zones.

However, Russian troops and the People's Militia of the DPR prevent the enemy from leaving the encirclement.

Dmitry Litovkin doubts that Kyiv would dare to unblock the Mariupol "garrison", since he does not have the resources for such an operation.

“By strikes on the defense enterprises of the republic, Russia has significantly reduced the logistical capabilities of the Ukrainian army.

In addition, the Kyiv regime has already tried to send helicopters and ships to Mariupol, but everything was unsuccessful.

No matter what Zelensky says, he is not able to save those who have sat down on Azovstal.

They are all doomed to death if they do not surrender.

These militants simply perform the function of maximally delaying the cleansing of Mariupol, ”Litovkin believes.

"Reputational Damage"

In an interview with RT, Pavel Feldman, deputy director of the RUDN Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasts, noted that in the situation around Mariupol, Zelensky is trying to prevent a surge of indignation from the nationalists.

For this reason, he seeks to maintain the illusion that the "garrison" of the city can be evacuated, as well as to shift public attention to other events.

“Mariupol is a very painful topic for the Ukrainian leadership, especially against the backdrop of accusations of the Azov people that they were abandoned and actually doomed to death.

The Kiev regime does not have the resources to unblock them, and Zelensky seeks to smooth out the real state of affairs by voicing vague plans to help nationalists and military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and demonstrating activity in other areas, ”Feldman argues.

• Russian servicemen in the destroyed residential areas of Mariupol

• RIA News

• © Ilya Pitalev

According to experts, one of such populist measures by Kyiv was the offer to exchange the leader of the political council of the Opposition Platform - For Life (OPPL) party Viktor Medvedchuk for Ukrainian servicemen.

However, the Kremlin rejected this idea, drawing attention to the fact that the Ukrainian politician is not a citizen of the Russian Federation and has nothing to do with the special operation.

According to Feldman, Zelensky's efforts in the public space are mainly aimed at leveling the large reputational losses from the news about the many surrendered Ukrainian marines.

“Zelensky and other representatives of the Kiev regime do not comment on information about hundreds of marines who decided to stay alive.

They are trying to hide these facts from Ukrainians, to switch their attention to other topics.

But be that as it may, the surrender of such a large number of military personnel caused serious reputational damage to the country's authorities, who glorified the "defenders" of Mariupol and talked about their readiness to fight to the last fighter, ”Feldman concluded.

* "Right Sector" is a Ukrainian association of radical nationalist organizations, recognized as extremist and banned in Russia (decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 11/17/2014).