Mariupol City Councilor Petro Andriushchenko said today that the situation at the Azovstal steelworks, the last stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in the port city, is “hell” with constant attacks by Russian troops.

“From now on, if there is hell on earth, it is in Azovstal. The last 11 square kilometers of freedom in Mariupol have been turned into hell. The intense bombings at the steel mill did not stop overnight and are continuing.” Andriushchenko sent a message to the broadcasting organization “CNN”.

According to the adviser, the attacks “do not rest” and most are carried out by drones in areas outside the industrial structure where the houses are located.

Denis Prokopenko, the military commander of the Azov regiment, said that “the battles were heavy and bloody” and that there was “a shower of bombs” at the scene. The military leader uploaded a video to the Ukrainska Pravda site, noting that the attacks were carried out by Russian troops from land, sea and air.

“I thank the whole world for their great support for the recovery of Mariupol. Our soldiers deserve it. But despite everything, they continue to follow the order given to continue the defence,” he said.

There are soldiers from Kiev’s official forces and soldiers from the far-right Azov Battalion at the steel plant.

Kyiv Defense Minister Yuriy Sak told BBC radio that Azovstal’s defense, which is seen as the “heart of the war”, “has become the number one priority”. The politician also warned that Russian ground missions should try to take full control of the ground.

evacuations

Despite the intensification of Russian attacks, the United Nations has reported that a new convoy will attempt to evacuate the civilians still stranded in Azovstal.

“A convoy is now heading towards Azovstal in Mariupol and will arrive tomorrow to evacuate the civilians trapped in the steel mills. This is the result of logistical and diplomatic efforts,” said the UN Assistant Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator. said. Martin Griffiths.

Russia, for its part, continues to deny that attacks are intensifying there and says that humanitarian corridors “work”, as reported by Tass. The Kremlin denies violating the ceasefire.

However, it is known that the departure of civilians from Azovstal only fully worked on May 2 and 3, after which he was paralyzed, causing only the evacuation of citizens from other parts of Mariupol.