City of Martyrs: chronology of battles in Mariupol and Azovstal

The city of martyrs – that’s what Mariupol called the Pope. It has remained the hottest spot since Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.

The Russian occupiers blocked Mariupol in early March. During this time, they almost razed it to the ground, destroying about 95-98% of all buildings.

During the siege of the city at the hands of the Russian occupiers killed more than 20 thousand people. This is twice as much as in the two years of occupation during World War II. More than 40,000 people were forcibly deported to Russia or the so-called DNR.

According to Mariupol Mayor’s Adviser Petro Andryushchenko, today the occupiers are turning Mariupol into a real ghetto. People are being bullied, they are completely powerless. Locals pass through filtration camps and are driven to new neighborhoods where they can still live.

The city lives without water and food, and there are many mass graves with civilians. Therefore, people are forced to work for food, dismantle debris, remove the bodies of the dead from the debris, from the streets.

For a long time, the hottest spot in Mariupol is the Azovstal metallurgical plant. Since the beginning of the blockade, not only Ukrainian soldiers have been on its territory, but also hundreds of civilians who have been hiding from constant Russian shelling in the plant’s bomb shelters.

On May 7, Iryna Vereshchuk, Minister for the Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories, said that all civilian women, children and the elderly had been evacuated from Azovstal. However, our military remains there, including the wounded, who need to be evacuated.

But on May 8, Azov Regiment Intelligence Officer Ilya Samoilenko told a news conference that civilians could still remain at the Azovstal plant. According to him, this information is still being clarified.

Read the chronology of events in Mariupol and Azovstal in the article.

March 1, 2022 – blockade of Mariupol

Russian troops surrounded the city. Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have come under regular fire without access to water, heat and food, without mobile communications and safe access.

People were left without heating when the temperature in Mariupol was minus.

March 9, 2022 – Russian troops bomb a hospital and maternity hospital in Mariupol.

The Russians completely destroyed the maternity hospital №3 and partially the hospital (children’s ward and therapy). Several bombs were dropped on the hospital during an enemy airstrike.

The footage, which instantly flew around the world, shows that the building was very badly damaged. People on stretchers were taken out of the house and pregnant women were taken out.

As a result of the air strike, 17 people were injured and 3 died (among them a little girl).

March 16, 2022 – the occupiers dropped a bomb on the Drama Theater.

Many locals with small children hid in its premises and bomb shelter. The theater was a shelter where people escaped the shelling.

According to official information, at least 300 people were killed during the bombing by the Russian occupiers of the Drama Theater in Mariupol.

However, an investigation by the Associated Press found evidence that the attack was in fact much more deadly, killing about 600 people.

Mid-April 2022 – some Ukrainian Marines were able to join forces with Azov in Azovstal.

After this operation of our military, Russia focused all its efforts on destroying the last stronghold of Ukrainian defenders in Mariupol – the Azovstal plant.

Heavy bombs and free-falling bombs are dropped on the plant every day. Various artillery is also used for the assault. But even in such inhumane conditions, our defenders are trying to maintain their fighting spirit.

In complete darkness in the bomb shelter, they perform the anthem of the Ukrainian army. We were born at a great hour, hoping that the light will overcome this darkness.

April 27, 2022 – defenders of Mariupol ask for extraction

The commander of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade of the Navy, Serhiy Volynsky (Volyna), asked to save the Mariupol garrison and conduct an extraction based on the 1940 operation in Dunkirk.

He stressed that there are hundreds of wounded soldiers of varying severity in the territory of Azovstal. They are in dire need of medical care. And at the plant there are no conditions, no medicines, no staff who could help them.

The wounded die in unbearable torment every day, because medicines, disinfectants, anesthesia are long gone.

* The extraction procedure involves the removal of military and civilians from the scene of hostilities to a safe zone (in the territory of a third country or in the territory controlled by Ukraine).

It is used when there is a threat of losing control of the city, which could lead to the destruction of personnel.

Beginning of May 2022 – civilians were deported from Azovstal.

On May 1, Iryna Vereshchuk, the Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories, said that more than 100 women, children and the elderly had been evacuated from Azovstal in the first two days.

May 4, 2022 – the storming of Azovstal

The head of the Ukrainian delegation at the talks with Russia, David Arakhamiya, said that attempts to storm the plant were ongoing for the second day. Russian troops broke into the territory of Azovstal.

On the same day, Azov confirmed that the situation on the territory of the plant is extremely difficult, heavy fighting continues, but the Ukrainian military continues to defend itself.

May 6, 2022 – The occupiers fired on an evacuation vehicle.

During the ceasefire on Azovstal, the Russians lined up a car using ATGM. This car was being driven to evacuate civilians from the plant.

Then three Ukrainian defenders were killed and six more of our soldiers were wounded.

On the same day, the head of the President’s Office, Andriy Yermak, said that almost 500 civilians had been evacuated from Mariupol and Azovstal.

May 7, 2022 – All women, children and the elderly were deported from Azovstal.

According to Iryna Vereshchuk, all women, children and the elderly were evacuated from Azovstal. This part of the Mariupol humanitarian operation has been completed.

Currently, Ukrainian defenders remain at the Azovstal plant. They continue to defend themselves, but call on the world to save them.

On May 7, Serhiy Volynskyi, commander of the 36th Marine Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reiterated that time was running out, so the defenders of Mariupol needed to be evacuated immediately.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was preparing for the second stage of evacuation of medics and wounded from Mariupol after the successful completion of the first part of the humanitarian operation.

According to him, the authorities are working to release servicemen from the Mariupol metallurgical plant, but this is extremely difficult.

At the same time, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced on the morning of May 8 that the Russians were bringing equipment to Mariupol. According to our military, Russia seeks to meet the needs of a group of its troops focused on the Mariupol direction.

Therefore, the Russian army continues to block Ukrainian units near the Azovstal plant. The invaders carried out assault operations with the support of artillery and tanks.

Photo: Depositphotos, Nik Mark