The operation to unblock the Ukrainian units from the Azovstal metallurgical plant in Mariupol will require the efforts of a significant number of troops and could lead to significant losses.
This was stated at a briefing by Deputy Chief of Staff of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Oleksiy Gromov, reports "Interfax-Ukraine".
“Today, the unblocking operation will require a significant number of troops, as units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are located at a distance of 150 to 200 km from Mariupol. The enemy has also created an extensive system of engineering fences and defensive lines, which will lead to significant losses on the part of our troops”, said Gromov.
He added that the connection with the units of the defense forces, which heroically hold their positions, is maintained.
At the same time, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said that “if there was at least one opportunity to unblock by military means, it would be used by the country's leadership”.
“Today, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are doing everything possible to make such an opportunity appear in the foreseeable future so that it would be as soon as possible”, Malyar stressed.
It should be noted that with the mediation of the UN, the President's Office managed to organize the evacuation of civilians - women, children, and the elderly, who were on the “Azovstal”.
We are reminding, that earlier the Azov regiment showed in which conditions there are wounded defenders of Mariupol, and called on the UN and RC to rescue people.
The National Guard said that President Volodymyr Zelensky and the state leaders were working to find ways to evacuate civilians from Azovstal and were working on an “extraction” procedure for wounded soldiers, medics, and the military, including the help of the world community.
Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Iryna Vereshchuk also called on the world community today to join the organization of the evacuation of wounded Ukrainian servicemen from the territory of the Azovstal plant in Mariupol.