As the Ukrainian city of Mariupol emerges from almost eight years of takeover and domination by the Azov militia and related forces, more and more ugly realities are and will be emerging. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov described yesterday how the Russian special forces freed hostages from a Turkish mosque in Mariupol, on April 16, and 29 militants were killed in the operation. Konashenkov pointed out that some of the militants were foreign mercenaries.
A larger drama also played out yesterday. After the surrender last week at the Ilyich Steel and Iron Works of over 1,000 members of Ukraine’s 36th Marines Brigade, Konashenkov related that the Kyiv regime did not take the development very well. Then, the Russian military offered the remaining militants at the massive Azovstal facility one last chance on April 17 to surrender. The offer was simple: “all who lay down their weapons are guaranteed the preservation of life.” He then related: “However, the Kyiv nationalist regime, according to the radio intercept, prohibited any negotiations on surrender, ordering Azov Nazis to shoot on the spot any Ukrainian serviceman or foreign mercenary willing to lay down arms.” If true, it is certainly coherent with the role of the neo-Nazi militia groupings of enforcing ‘discipline’ over regular military forces, over the last two months. Yesterday, no such surrender took place. During the afternoon, artillery fire commenced. “In case of further resistance, all of them will be destroyed.”