Olena Roshchina – Tuesday, 26 April 2022, 15:48 Russian President Vladimir Putin told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Mariupol city in southern Ukraine has already been seized by the Russian army and hostilities have ended there. Source: Kremlin Press Release citing a telephone conversation between Putin and Erdogan Details: In reply to Erdogan’s question about the situation in Mariupol, Putin said in a spirit of propaganda that the city was “liberated” and “combat actions are not being conducted there.” According to Putin, Kyiv authorities should issue an “order to lay down their arms” to Ukrainian defenders blockaded on the territory of the “Azovstal” plant. The Russian president claims that “prisoners of war are guaranteed life, medical care and treatment in accordance with international law.” On April 26, defenders of Mariupol said that 35 air strikes had been carried out on “Azovstal” last night alone, and civilians were trapped under the rubble. On April 26, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is in Moscow, proposing to organise a humanitarian corridor for Mariupol in general and for “Azovstal” in particular, so that people may leave in the direction they choose. Background: The so-called “head of the Donetsk People’s Republic” Denys Pushylin founded a “medal” “for the Liberation of Mariupol” dated April 21. Mariupol has been under siege since 1 March. However, defenders of Mariupol continue their heroic resistance against the aggressors. These are “Azov” Regiment fighters, Marines, Border Patrol and National Guardsmen. The “Azov” Regiment fighters and Marines have called on foreign countries to undertake an evacuation of civilians and injured fighters from the “Azovstal” plant, where they have been sheltering from bombings and shelling.
