Bhen the video begins with the words “Glory to Ukraine!” the man is a dark outline in a dark room. “We are the defenders of Mariupol, the 36th Brigade Marines,” he says, taking a deep breath. Then someone turns on a light, says “thank you” and continues his sentence: “who has held and holds the defense of this city to the last. We have not abandoned our positions. We have kept every corner of this city to the best of our ability. But the reality is that the city is really in a blockade and there has been no resupply of ammunition and food.”
The man in uniform has dark circles around his eyes, he speaks with long pauses, once thunder can be heard in the background. He is apparently sitting in a cellar, pipes can be seen on a wall behind him. What he says sounds like a legacy: “We have stayed true and always will be. And all Ukrainians must remember the price of this resistance and carry things through: defend victory to the end. Ukraine, Europe, the world.”
The video, released by Ukrainian media on Tuesday morning, is said to have been taken in Mariupol around 5 a.m. Since Sunday evening, Ukrainian soldiers from the city had been sending messages to the Ukrainians, describing their hopeless situation: “For more than a month the marines fought without ammunition supplies, without food and without water, almost licking from the puddles, and fell in heaps,” read a post published Monday on the 36th Brigade’s Facebook page. “The infantrymen are all dead, artillerymen, radio operators, drivers and cooks fight in the exchange of fire. Even the orchestra.”
The entry caused a stir because it contained serious allegations against the Ukrainian leadership. There were opportunities to bring supplies and strengthen the force in Mariupol, or break through to the main group of Ukrainian armed forces. But the plans for this were rejected in the staff. “Nobody wants to talk to us anymore because we’ve been written off. Today will probably be the last fight because there is no more ammunition left. Close combat continues.” Similar accusations had previously been made by a commander of the Azov Volunteer Battalion.
Forced to explain
Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valeriy Zalushnyi was forced to explain that they are in constant contact with the Mariupol defenders and are doing “what is possible and impossible for victory” and to save the lives of soldiers and civilians. A little later, the deputy commander of Azov released another video in which he called on Ukrainians to unite: “We believe in the military-political leadership of Ukraine! We continue the fight for Ukrainian Mariupol.”
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly emphasized in recent weeks how important the defense of Mariupol is for the whole of Ukraine. On Saturday, he said 10,000 Russian soldiers were involved in the siege of the city: “If Mariupol can be held, then these ten thousand Russians will stay there and not march to the east, which Russia plans to occupy.” In his evening video address on Monday Zelenskyy – possibly in response to the allegations of the marines – complained that Ukraine had not yet received the necessary weapons to break the blockade of Mariupol.
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