Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his forces not to storm the last remaining Ukrainian stronghold in the besieged city of Mariupol – but to block it “so that not even a fly comes through”.
Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, told Mr Putin on Thursday that the sprawling Azovstal steel factory where Ukrainian forces are holed up is “securely blocked”. He said the rest of the city has been “liberated”, which Mr Putin hailed as a “success”.
Leaving the factory in Ukrainian hands, however, robs the Russians of the ability to declare a complete victory in Mariupol. The city’s capture has both strategic and symbolic importance.
