To the people of Mariupol, it was a refuge. To the soldiers, it was a fortress. This is the story of the battle for Azovstal, an apocalyptic siege at a sprawling steel plant where Russian brutality met Ukrainian resistance. nytimes.com/2022/07/24/wor…
For 80 days, a small group of Ukrainian soldiers, short on ammunition, food and water, kept a larger, more powerful Russian force bogged down in a quagmire that brought misery and death on both sides.
Trapped with them were dozens of civilians, who in the war's early days had sought shelter in the many bunkers beneath the plant. There they became trapped as Russian forces surrounded the factory and unleashed a punishing bombardment that lasted weeks.
To keep the troops in the fight, Ukrainian commanders conceived an audacious and deadly mission to ferry in weapons and supplies by helicopter, helping soldiers to draw Russian forces away from other fronts.
In addition to weapons, one helicopter delivered a satellite internet system. All of a sudden, the soldiers, who had been completely cut off, could communicate with the outside world. This is how my colleagues and I came to know some of them.
We spoke to them during breaks in fighting, or they sent voice messages describing the ordeal. Over time, soldierly bravado turned to desperation, as many became convinced they would die in the factory. Many did, and many more remain in Russian captivity. nytimes.com/2022/07/24/wor…
@mschwirtz Or Banderite ethnic nationalists fighting to cleanse Ukraine of ethnic Romas and Russians used human shields to avoid surrendering peacefully.
@mschwirtz We remember. May you return to #Ukraine alive heroes