Russian President Vladimir Putin said, "The battle to free Mariupol has been completed and succeeded," and claimed to have seized control of Mariupol, a key point in eastern Ukraine.
On the other hand, regarding the steelworks in the city where Ukrainian troops are based, he said, "I don't think any further attacks are appropriate," and ordered the attack to be stopped and the siege of the area where the steelworks are located to continue. bottom.
The Russian Presidential Administration announced on the 21st that Putin received a report from Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu that he had seized control of Mariupol, a key point in eastern Ukraine.
In it, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said, "Mariupol has been liberated. The entire Mariupol is under the control of Russian troops and pro-Russian factions," and he claimed to have taken control of Mariupol.
Russian troops launched an invasion of Ukraine on February 24, intensifying their offensive against Mariupol, which faces the Sea of Azov.
On April 16th, Ukrainian troops claimed to have besieged the steelworks, and then often urged them to disarm and surrender, but the Ukrainian side remained prepared to fight. , Did not respond to surrender.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu explained that the steelworks still have more than 2,000 Ukrainian troops.
"The battle to free Mariupol has been completed and succeeded," Putin claimed.
He said, "I don't think any more attacks on the steelworks are appropriate. I'm ordering to stop the attacks," he ordered to stop the attacks on the steelworks.
He then said, "To prevent flies from flying, block the area where the ironworks are located," and instructed the siege of the industrial zone where the ironworks are located to continue.
Mariupol is a strategic link between Russia's unilateral annexation of Southern Crimea and the eastern part, which is virtually governed by pro-Russian militants eight years ago. ..
In addition, Putin wants to emphasize the grasp of Mariupol as an important result for the domestic market toward "Victory Day" on May 9, when the former Soviet Union defeated Nazi Germany in World War II. It has been seen that there is.
As a result, many civilians are believed to have been killed in indiscriminate attacks by Russian troops in Mariupol, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
Background of the provision of the US Ministry of Defense "Howitzer"
The U.S. Department of Defense says it will provide 18 "155 mm howitzers" and 40,000 shells for additional military support to Ukraine.
The howitzer is a heavy weapon that can control a wide area at once by shooting a large number of large caliber shells into enemy positions several tens of kilometers away, and is also used by the Ground Self-Defense Force.
Yu Koizumi, a full-time lecturer at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, the University of Tokyo, said that the focus of the battle has shifted to the eastern part of Ukraine. Since there is no place to hide in a very open land, it will be a battle where both sides collide head-on, and it is important how intensively the firepower can be exerted against the opponent. " ..
He added, "Russia has struggled quite a bit so far, but if it is a battle on a flat land like the eastern part, it may still be able to exert considerable force. On the contrary, from the perspective of Ukraine and Western countries, the Russian army here. If the offensive is defeated, it is hoped that it will be impossible to carry out a large-scale invasion of Ukraine for the time being. Value is high. "
What is "Bunker Buster"?
The Ukrainian side claims that Russia is attacking the Mariupol steelworks with a special bomb, also known as the "bunker buster."
It is used to explode after breaking through thick concrete and attack underground military facilities.
Yu Koizumi, a full-time lecturer at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, the University of Tokyo, who is familiar with Russia's military strategy and equipment system, said, "It is a weapon that the US military has focused mainly on fighting terrorism and North Korea, and the Russian army is also a fighter. We are developing and deploying a type that drops from such things, but I have never heard of a case that was used extensively in the past. "
This time, if it was actually used, it was thought that it was to attack the Ukrainian soldiers who continued to resist by sneaking into the underground tunnel, and he said, "There should be a fairly complicated tunnel running in the ground. And since we don't know who is where from the ground, we don't know how effective it will be if it is used. "
"It is said that there are many civilians in the basement as well as soldiers, and it is a problem how to distinguish them, or whether they are not willing to distinguish them in the first place," he said. He expressed concern about that.