DPR units are advancing rapidly deep into the city, cutting through the enemy. The defences of the AFU and nationalist units are disorganised and overall leadership is lost. AFU units are forced to retreat, reducing their line of defence. There are reports of heavy losses on the part of the AFU. There is a lot of abandoned military equipment, weapons and ammunition. The advancing DPR units are also suffering losses.
Russian Black Sea Fleet ships are supporting the operation to take Mariupol with fire.
Local residents help the DPR forces by pointing out locations and firing positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Against this backdrop, panic videos from members of nationalist units in Mariupol started pouring into the media space calling on everyone to shout that Mariupol is Ukraine and that the DPR and Russian Federation must urgently stop an attack on Mariupol.
Listen, because you need to understand the situation and act. Remind us about Mariupol. Shout about it. Because we don’t want to be heroes and martyrs posthumously.
The members of the nationalist battalions are well aware that they have little chance of surviving if they encounter DNR servicemen from Mariupol and its suburbs or being captured by locals. Their actions in the city have put them in an almost hopeless position.
The video below shows the deputy commander of the Azov nationalist regiment calling on Ukrainian citizens to save them.
In all likelihood, the fighting for Mariupol will last no more than two days. After that, a large-scale operation is expected to encircle the Ukrainian eastern front in Donbass. An additional contingent of the Russian Defence Ministry is being sent from Russia for this purpose. There are reports of a massive movement of military equipment in central Russia.
