Ukraine War: Heartbreaking wives and mothers of Azovstal garrison say heroic battle is coming to an end | World News
The wives and mothers of the repressed Ukrainian garrison Azovstal say their heroic battle is coming to an end.
A small force of Ukrainians fought the Russians for 80 days in the vast Azovstal steel mills but now seems to be nearing the end.
“My husband is in a real hell,” Natalya Zarytska told Sky News. “He has lost more than 20 kg of weight. He looks very bad and in bad condition.”
She married Bohdan online in April as the siege continued.
“I think this is the end,” she said.
“This is his last photo. This is a yellow face, he has lost more than 20 kg of weight.”
She talked about the last time she had contact with him, a week ago.
“He said that the encirclement around Azovstal is getting thinner and will end soon.”
When asked if she thought of seeing him again, she replied: “Yes, I hope so.
The wives of Azov Ukrainian soldiers currently trapped inside the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works in Mariupol attend the weekly general audience hosted by Pope Francis at the Vatican
Other major developments:
• President Zelenskyy said that negotiations with Russia over the removal of wounded defenders from the Azovstal plant in Mariupol were “very complicated”
• Russian warplanes participated in exercises in the Baltic Sea, Interfax reports
• Russia says it will take appropriate precautions if NATO deploys nuclear forces and infrastructure near its borders
• Ukraine is storing hundreds of dead Russian soldiers in a refrigerated train to bring them back to their families
• American consulting organization believes that Russia has lost the battle for Ukraine’s second largest city
Yulia Tarasenko showed off a photo of her husband Oleksandr in better times.
They met in 2016 at a checkpoint, both are border guards and have a three-year-old son.
Her eyes filled with tears as she spoke of her despair at seeing him again.
“Like every woman, I will cry, I miss him so much,” she said. “It’s been a huge tragedy for me and for my family. We have a great relationship for us, a long time apart. He’s always texting me, ‘Honey, I need it. come back to be with me’.”
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Ukraine war: Azov Battalion fighter says every day in Mariupol ‘could be our last’
‘He knew I was waiting for him’
Wives and mothers gathered in Kyiv to appeal through the press for world leaders to intervene and disarm the activists. They urge China’s Xi Jinping, in particular, to lead the way.
Among them, Svetlana gave only her name. Her son is in Azovstal. She told me she would see him again.
She said: “Of course. I have to see him. He’s my son and he needs to come back. He knows I’m waiting for him. Of course, without a doubt. I have no doubts.”
But the chances of any Ukrainian fighter jets emerging from the steelwork are becoming increasingly slim.
The Ukrainians used the vast labyrinth complex to evade capture
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So far, Russia has rejected all attempts to negotiate a safe passage and a way out. Vladimir Putin told his Defense Minister that not a single fly should be allowed to escape from the steel structures.
Turkey has offered to take over the fighters if they can be made to safety but their efforts have been rebuffed by Moscow.
The siege of Azovstal prevented Russia from gaining full control of Mariupol. Without it, it could not have taken any major Ukrainian city by force.
The Ukrainians used the vast labyrinthine complex to evade capture and defeat despite being outnumbered.
They have held out longer than many expected but the despair of their loved ones is a sign that their extraordinary battle may be coming to an end.
