Russia has reported a second attempt by the Kiev regime’s forces to rescue Azov commanders in Mariupol (the first was a few days ago which failed because the DPR militias shot down the two helicopters). This time, a ship tried to break through the Russian naval blockade.
“On the evening of 8 April, the regime in Kiev made a new unsuccessful attempt to evacuate the neo-Nazi fighters’ leaders [trapped in Mariupol] by sea. In the evening darkness the Ukrainian dry cargo vessel Apache, assigned to the Maltese port of Valletta and flying the Maltese flag, followed a caravan of ships from Taganrog Bay to the Kerch Strait,” Konashenkov said in a briefing Saturday. “At 10:38 pm, 30 km southeast of Mariupol, the vessel abruptly changed course and attempted to break through to the Mariupol port, blocked from the sea by forces of the [Russian] Black Sea Fleet.”
The ship ignored Russian commands to halt, radioing instead “This is ‘Maniac', I am coming for you.” Signal fires were observed from Ukrainian-controlled areas of the shore.
In order to block the further movement of the intruding vessel, a ship of the Black Sea Fleet and Russian border patrol boats opened fire on the Apache. A blaze broke out aboard the vessel after a direct hit to the stern at which point the crew gave up and asked for help.
