Putin’s ally: Russia will occupy Mariupol today

Mariupol would be the largest city to be occupied by Russia since it invaded Ukraine eight weeks ago.

“Before lunch or after lunch, Azovstal will be completely under the control of the forces of the Russian Federation,” said Ramzan Kadyrov, head of the Russian republic of Chechnya, whose forces have fought in Ukraine over the steel plant.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense was not immediately available for comment. Its general staff said in an early update Thursday that rocket and bomb attacks continued across the country.

The southeastern port city of Mariupol has experienced the fiercest fighting since February 24 as Russian forces try to take full control. Capturing it would be a major strategic reward and would link the territory held by pro-Russian separatists in the east to the Crimean region that Moscow annexed in 2014. Several dozen civilians managed to leave the city on Wednesday in a small convoy buses, according to Reuters witnesses.

A Ukrainian navy commander, Serhiy Volny, said the fighters at the steel plant may not be able to stay for much longer. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said about 1,000 civilians have been sheltered there.

Ukraine is ready for a “special round of negotiations” without conditions “to save our sons ët military, civilians, children, the living and the wounded,” Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitter.

Kiev has proposed the exchange of Russian prisoners of war for safe passage for trapped civilians and soldiers. It was not known whether Russia had responded to the offer for special negotiations.

The fighters remain trapped in the plant and have ignored an ultimatum from Russia to surrender.

Russia calls the attack on Ukraine a “special military operation” to demilitarize and “denationalize” Ukraine. Kiev and its Western allies reject this as a false pretext for war.

The West has imposed unprecedented sanctions on Russia and given Ukraine broad support, including weapons.

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