Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed victory in the battle for Mariupol on Thursday and canceled plans to storm the last remaining Ukrainian stronghold in a sprawling steel plant but instead block it “so that not even a fly comes through.”
“The completion of combat work to liberate Mariupol is a success,” Putin said.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, estimated 2,000 Ukrainian fighters remained inside the Azovstal steel plant.
“The territory of the Azovstal plant with the remnants of nationalists and foreign mercenaries located is securely blocked,” Shoigu says.
Putin urged the holdouts to surrender. Leaving the plant in Ukrainian hands robs the Russians of the ability to declare complete victory in Mariupol, which has seen some of the most dramatic fighting of the war and whose capture has both strategic and symbolic importance.
Putin and Shoigu’s comments appeared to reflect a change in strategy in Mariupol, where the Russians previously seemed determined to take every last inch of the city. But it was not clear what it would mean in practical terms.
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Latest developments:
►Speaking to the European Council about peace talks with Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of not taking the issue seriously, saying Ukraine hasn’t received any documents listing demands for peace talks.
►In a survey of 27 countries, an Ipsos survey found that 61% of adults think Russia’s invasion of Ukraine poses a significant risk to their country. That number was highest in Japan, where 87% of people surveyed believe the invasion poses a significant threat.
Biden to update American public on Russia, Ukraine
U.S. President Joe Biden will give the American public an update on the Russian invasion of Ukraine , days after Russian forces began escalating attacks on eastern Ukraine in what officials say marks a new phase of the invasion.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on CNN Wednesday evening that Biden will “have more to announce on the next round of security assistance in very short order,” adding, “You’ll hear more soon.”
The U.S. has provided over $3 billion in military aid to Ukraine, including four flights of U.S. arms, including howitzers, that arrived in eastern Europe this week, according to a senior Defense Department official.
American officials also unveiled another round of sanctions Tuesday targeting Russian officials and organizations tied to the Kremlin. One batch announced by the Secretary of State targeted more than 600 individuals involved in suppressing dissent, media and democracy in the region. Another announced by the Treasury Department targeted banks and networks being used to evade U.S. sanctions.
Biden’s update comes amid an escalation of Russian attacks in the Donbas region of Ukraine, building up a 300-mile front and sending four additional Russian battalion tactical groups to the country.
Russian forces now control 80% of the Luhansk region, its governor said, which is one of two regions that make up the Donbas. The Kyiv government controlled 60% of the region before Russia’s invasion on February 24.
UN Secretary-General submits formal request to meet with Russia, Ukraine
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres formally submitted letters requesting to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, his spokesperson said Wednesday.
Guterres has openly criticized Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying it is in violation of the U.N. Charter. He launched an initiative to explore the possibility of a humanitarian ceasefire in Ukraine in late May.
According to his spokesperson, Guterres said he wants to discuss “urgent steps to bring about peace in Ukraine and the future of multilateralism” with both countries, in what he said was a “time of great peril and consequence.”
Tuesday, Guterres called for the four-day pause beginning to observe Holy Week in the Orthodox Christian tradition. He said it was even more necessary given the intensified attacks in eastern Ukraine this week.
– Celina Tebor
Contributing: The Associated Press
