"I am proud of my soldiers who are making superhuman efforts to contain the pressure of the enemy ... the situation is extremely difficult," commander Denis Prokopenko said in a brief video message released on Telegram.
This article is more than 3 years old
Azov defenders stave off Russian attacks
Ukraine defenders fighting 'bloody battles' inside Mariupol steel works
May 4 (Reuters) - Ukrainian forces inside Mariupol's Azovstal steel works were fighting "difficult bloody battles" against Russian troops for a second day on Wednesday, the commander of the far-right Azov regiment said.
epa09896966 A frame grab from an undated handout drone video first published by DPR militia commander Alexander Khodakovsky and made available by the Mariupol City Council shows smoke rising from the Azovstal steel plant during airstrikes in Mariupol, eastern Ukraine, 18 April (issued 19 April 2022). The Russian Defence Ministry on 19 April 2022 issued a statement calling on the Ukrainian forces in Mariupol "to cease any hostilities and lay down their arms. All who lay down their weapons are guaranteed the preservation of life." The city council on 18 April 2022 via their official Telegram channel said that at least 1,000 civilians are sheltering in the underground shelters of the metallurgical plant, and that heavy bombs were dropped on the Azovstal plant by Russian forces. EPA-EFE/MARIUPOL CITY COUNCIL HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES