On Thursday, the head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, declared that the southern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol is now under the control of Russian forces. Later, during a meeting with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, President Vladimir Putin congratulated the military on its victory.
In a statement on Telegram, Kadyrov announced, “Mariupol is ours! The city has been taken definitively and completely,” noting that the Russian forces had taken over the city’s administrative building and the Azovstal iron and steelworks plant, Ukraine’s last defensive holdout in the city. The Chechen leader added that the remaining Ukrainian nationalists in the city have been blocked inside the Azovstal plant.
Kadyrov accused Ukrainian forces of using civilians as hostages and residential buildings as hiding spots, making it difficult for the Russians to swiftly take over the city. Despite these alleged problems, “such outcome was unavoidable,” proclaimed Kadyrov.
Chechen unit, "Kadyrovtsy" in Mariupol, proud of their destruction. The speaker: "an order to destroy and purge Mariupol is fulfilled. The order of president Putin is fulfilled, the order of Kadyrov is fulfilled". - they admit, the order was to "destroy and purge" pic.twitter.com/6KPyf12Db1
— UkraineWorld (@ukraine_world) April 21, 2022
Separately, Chechen politician and member of the Russian state Duma Adam Delimkhanov stated in a video alongside dozens of Chechen soldiers in front of the besieged Azovstal plant: “It can be said the special operation to destroy and clear Mariupol has been completed today.” Delimkhanov hailed the soldiers for successfully carrying out Putin and Kadyrov’s orders to “destroy” Mariupol.
Defence Minister Shoigu informed Putin in detail about Russia’s capture of Mariupol, highlighting that the port city was an important military base for the Ukrainian forces that housed heavy artillery. Following Russia’s invasion, Shoigu noted that only 2,000 Ukrainian troops remain in the city, all of whom have been captured in the Azovstal plant. He also pointed out that Russia is in constant communication with Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk regarding evacuation and other humanitarian activities. Towards the end of his speech, Shoigu remarked that “the city is now calm” and safe for re-habitation.
This is accurate, as Azovstal steel has not fallen completely in spite of the dire supply situation. Military operations were ongoing as Russian shelling continued as evacuations were underway from Mariupol. pic.twitter.com/K2jf222KRT
— Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) April 21, 2022
Putin, meanwhile, instructed all Russian forces to bear in mind international norms while dealing with the remaining Ukrainian forces in Mariupol. Furthermore, he noted that government will reward them for their bravery and recognise their efforts towards bringing peace to Donbas.
In contrast to Russia’s proclamations, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in an address late last night, described Mariupol as “a city that continues to resist Russia... despite everything the occupiers say.” The majority of the focus of his speech went to Kyiv’s diplomatic efforts and the situation in the Russia-captured city of Kherson.
⚡️Satellite imagery shows 985-foot-long mass grave in village near Mariupol.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) April 21, 2022
A trench that appears to be a place of mass burial was dug out between March 23 and March 29, according to satellite imagery found by RFE/RL.
Photo: RFE/RL pic.twitter.com/sey5u8wLen
On the same day, Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko claimed to have found a mass grave containing 9,000 bodies near the city. He compared it to a Kyiv site where Adolf Hitler’s Nazi forces executed 33,000 Jews during World War II. “This is the new Babi Yar. Hitler then killed Jews, Roma and Slavs. And now Putin is destroying Ukrainians,” he said.
Last week, Ukrainian forces in the city warned about the “last battle,” saying they have been fighting “without replenishment of ammunition, without food, without water” for the last month. Mariupol is an important strategic target for Russia, as its port allows Moscow to establish a naval corridor, through which it can support its war in Donbas.