Report
War in Ukraine: In Pokrovske, members of the Azov battalion look towards Mariupol
Audio 01:33
A Ukrainian soldier from the Azov regiment during an exercise near Kharkivn on March 11, 2022. © SERGEY BOBOK/AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
At the Azovstal factory in Mariupol, the last Ukrainian forces that continue to stand up to Moscow on the spot are those of the Azov regiment.
Known for its neo-Nazi roots, this battalion of volunteers, now integrated into the army, has also stood out for its military qualities.
Meeting with one of their units located in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
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With our special correspondents in Pokrovske,
Aabla Jounaïdi
and
Oriane Verdier
200 km north of Mariupol, facing the Russian forces, Commander Tisjenko invites us to enter the trench that his men have dug in the third line.
“
We don't take journalists to the front line.
Yesterday the enemies threw phosphorus bombs
, he claims.
It's a terrible weapon.
If touched, the human being starts to burn.
They are using this weapon against us.
I can show you a video.
Look.
It's a burnt crater
, describes the commander.
When the target is hit, on the surface, be it a vehicle or a body, it instantly ignites.
Look, you can't even see the bottom of the crater.
And there are no fragments.
»
“
The Russians are waging a war of attrition to starve people
”
The Russians would also fire phosphorus bombs at
the Azovstal factory in Mariupol
.
Commander Tisjenko is in communication with his comrades from the Azov regiment on the spot.
“
There are members of the Navy, of Azov, of the police, of the national guard.
Under the Asovstal factory, during the time of the Soviet Union, an anti-atomic shelter was built.
When the Russians entered from Crimea, all naval bases were evacuated in the area
, says the member of the Azov regiment.
These bases have stocks of armaments and food to last for years.
All of this was stored away at the Azovstal factory.
That's why people survived there for so long.
The Russians are waging a war of attrition to starve people.
»
On Thursday, the United Nations coordinator in Ukraine said she was leaving for the south of the country to prepare for an evacuation attempt from Mariupol.
For the time being, the announced corridors have never been fully respected.
There would be several ways to solve the problem.
The first is to go in force to impose a corridor and get people out.
For that, it is necessary to gather a lot of forces, resources and modern weapons.
This is the first option, but it is unlikely, because it would cause more losses than lives saved.
The other method that we continue to call for is that with international pressure, Europe, the Red Cross and others, organize the evacuation under international supervision.
Our men would be ready to lay down their arms if they had the assurance of being evacuated in this way.
Serhiy Tisjenko, commander of the Dnipopetrovsk Azov unit
Aabla Jounaïdi Oriane Verdier
► To read also: In the Donbass, stay mobilized as the war drags on
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