# Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed victory in the biggest battle of the war in Ukraine
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2022-04-21
Category: NEWS
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news
Meta Title: Putin Claims Victory in Mariupol Battle as Ukraine Pleads
Meta Description: Get the latest updates on Russian President Vladimir Putin's victory declaration in Mariupol as the conflict in Ukraine continues. Stay informed with Reuters.
URL: https://financedigest.com/russian-president-vladimir-putin-claimed-victory-in-the-biggest-battle-of-the-war-in-ukrainehtml

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By Pavel Polityuk

KYIV (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed victory in the biggest battle of the war in Ukraine on Thursday, declaring the port city of Mariupol “liberated” after nearly two months of siege.

However, hundreds of fighters and civilians in dozens of bunkers were still holed up inside a huge steel works. Putin ordered his troops to blockade the complex “so that not even a fly” could escape.

[Ukraine said Putin](https://www.financedigest.com/putin-says-peace-talks-with-ukraine-are-at-dead-end-goads-the-west.html "Putin says peace talks with Ukraine are at dead end, goads the West") wanted to avoid a final clash with its forces in the city as he lacked the troops to defeat them.

In Washington, U.S. President Joe Biden authorized a further $800 [million in military aid](https://www.financedigest.com/wizz-air-loses-fight-against-67-million-in-state-aid-for-romanian-rival.html "Wizz Air loses fight against  million in state aid for Romanian rival") for Ukraine, including heavy artillery, as it faces a new Russian offensive in the east.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in a video address to the Portuguese parliament, begged Western nations to send more weapons and to [impose more economic sanctions](https://www.financedigest.com/new-u-s-sanctions-imposed-for-russian-bank-oligarchs-crypto-miner-bitriver.html "New U.S. sanctions imposed for Russian bank, oligarchs, crypto miner BitRiver") on Moscow.

“This is just the first step (for Russia) to gain control of eastern Europe, to destroy democracy in Ukraine,” he said. Your people, who in a few [days will be celebrating](https://www.financedigest.com/tall-marks-its-25th-year-with-celebration-day.html "TALL Marks its 25th Year with Celebration Day ") the anniversary of the Carnation Revolution that liberated you from dictatorship, know perfectly well what we are feeling.

“We are fighting not only for our independence, but for our survival, for our people so that they do not get killed, tortured and raped,” Zelenskiy said.

He accused the [Russian army of committing many atrocities in Ukraine](https://www.financedigest.com/ukraine-grants-citizenship-to-top-russian-journalist-who-denounced-war.html "Ukraine grants citizenship to top Russian journalist who denounced war"), including in Mariupol.

[Russia denies targetting civilians and rejects what Ukraine](https://www.financedigest.com/analysis-action-wanes-at-u-n-to-isolate-russia-almost-six-months-into-ukraine-war.html "Analysis: Action wanes at U.N. to isolate Russia almost six months into Ukraine war") says is evidence of atrocities, saying Ukraine has staged them. Moscow calls its incursion a “special military [operation” to demilitarise and “denazify” Ukraine](https://www.financedigest.com/russia-promises-to-scale-down-operations-in-northern-ukraine.html "Russia promises to scale down operations in northern Ukraine"). Kyiv and its Western allies reject that as a false pretext for an illegal war of aggression.

Mariupol, once home to 400,000 people, has seen not only the most intense battle of the war that started when Russian forces invaded on Feb. 24 but also its worst humanitarian catastrophe.

Hundreds of [thousands of civilians were cut](https://www.financedigest.com/meta-plans-to-cut-thousands-of-jobs-as-soon-as-this-week-bloomberg-news.html "Meta plans to cut thousands of jobs as soon as this week – Bloomberg News") off for nearly two months under Russian siege and bombardment.

Control of the city [links territory held by separatists Russia backs](https://www.financedigest.com/eu-lawmakers-back-ban-on-goods-linked-to-deforestation.html "EU lawmakers back ban on goods linked to deforestation") in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region with Crimea, the peninsula Moscow seized in 2014.

Ukrainian fighters remained inside the Azovstal steel complex, one of the biggest metallurgical facilities in Europe, covering 11 sq km with huge buildings, underground bunkers and tunnels. [Putin had told the defenders](https://www.financedigest.com/fighting-traps-civilians-in-ukraine-plant-as-putin-urges-defenders-to-disarm.html "Fighting traps civilians in Ukraine plant as Putin urges defenders to disarm") to lay down their weapons and surrender or die.

But in a televised meeting at the Kremlin on Thursday, Putin congratulated Defence [Minister Sergei Shoigu and Russian](https://www.financedigest.com/permitted-share-of-chinas-yuan-in-russian-wealth-fund-doubled-to-60-finance-minister.html "Permitted share of China’s yuan in Russian wealth fund doubled to 60% -Finance Minister") troops for having “successfully completed the combat effort to liberate Mariupol.

He said it was unnecessary to storm the industrial zone and ordered such action to be cancelled.

There’s no [need to climb into these catacombs and crawl underground through these industrial](https://www.financedigest.com/the-financial-services-industry-needs-to-get-serious-about-cyber-security-in-the-covid-19-era.html "The financial services industry needs to get serious about cyber security in the Covid-19 era") facilities …Block off this industrial area so that not even a fly can get through.”

The [Ukrainian military said Russian](https://www.financedigest.com/ukrainian-volunteers-recount-three-weeks-in-russian-captivity-allege-beatings.html "Ukrainian volunteers recount three weeks in Russian captivity, allege beatings") forces had nevertheless tried to storm the seaport and steel plant.

While Putin claimed his first big prize [since his forces were driven out of northern Ukraine](https://www.financedigest.com/euro-zone-economy-sentiment-rises-in-dec-first-time-since-start-of-ukraine-war.html "Euro zone economy sentiment rises in Dec, first time since start of Ukraine war") last month, it falls short of the unambiguous victory Moscow has sought after months of combat in a city reduced to rubble.

They physically cannot take Azovstal, they have understood this, they have taken [huge losses](https://www.financedigest.com/investors-flee-uk-bonds-pushing-gilts-to-huge-monthly-loss.html "Investors flee UK bonds, pushing gilts to huge monthly loss") there,” Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych told a briefing. “Our defenders continue to hold it.”

But Western officials in London warned that [Putin could still win in Ukraine despite](https://www.financedigest.com/some-wounded-russian-soldiers-find-compensation-elusive-despite-putins-pledge-sources.html "Some wounded Russian soldiers find compensation elusive, despite Putin’s pledge – sources") failing in his pre-war objectives.

CIVILIAN SUFFERING

President Zelenskiy said 120,000 [civilians were still being blocked from leaving Mariupol](https://www.financedigest.com/civilians-from-mariupol-flee-azovstal-bunkers-in-u-n-led-evacuation.html "Civilians from Mariupol flee Azovstal bunkers in U.N.-led evacuation").

Journalists who reached Mariupol during the siege found streets littered with corpses, nearly all buildings destroyed, and residents huddled freezing in cellars, venturing out to cook scraps on makeshift stoves or to bury bodies in gardens.

[Ukraine estimates that tens of thousands of civilians have died in Mariupol](https://www.financedigest.com/ukraine-says-first-civilians-killed-in-lviv-fighters-cling-on-in-mariupol.html "Ukraine says first civilians killed in Lviv, fighters cling on in Mariupol"), some buried in mass graves. The [United Nations and Red Cross say](https://www.financedigest.com/offshore-crews-to-strike-on-bps-north-sea-installations-says-unite.html "Offshore crews to strike on BP’s North Sea installations, says Unite") the civilian toll is at least in the thousands.

Shoigu told Putin that [Russia had killed more than 4,000 Ukrainian troops in its campaign to take Mariupol](https://www.financedigest.com/russia-unleashes-rockets-after-mariupol-ceasefire-eu-eyes-oil-sanctions.html "Russia unleashes rockets after Mariupol ceasefire, EU eyes oil sanctions") and that 1,478 had given themselves up. Those figures could not be verified.

Ukrainian deputy prime [minister Iryna Vereshchuk said 1,000 civilians and 500 wounded soldiers needed](https://www.financedigest.com/swedish-energy-minister-need-to-decouple-gas-from-electricity-price.html "Swedish energy minister: need to decouple gas from electricity price") to be brought out from the plant immediately, blaming Russian forces for the failure to establish a safe corridor that she said had been agreed.

Moscow says Russia has taken in 140,000 civilians from [Mariupol in humanitarian evacuations](https://www.financedigest.com/the-man-who-evacuated-200-people-from-mariupol-in-a-battered-red-van.html "The man who evacuated 200 people from Mariupol in a battered red van"). Kyiv [says some were deported by force](https://www.financedigest.com/britain-says-it-is-committed-to-leading-a-nato-task-force-in-2024.html "Britain says it is committed to leading a NATO task force in 2024"), in what would be a war crime.

“CRITICAL WINDOW”

President [Biden pledged](https://www.financedigest.com/biden-johnson-trudeau-pledge-artillery-for-ukraine-in-battle-against-russia.html "Biden, Johnson, Trudeau pledge artillery for Ukraine in battle against Russia") to send dozens of howitzers, 144,000 rounds of ammunition and tactical drones to Ukraine.

We’re in a critical window now of [time where they’re going to set](https://www.financedigest.com/oneweb-eutelsat-set-for-secondary-london-listing-the-times.html "OneWeb-Eutelsat set for secondary London listing – The Times") the stage for the next phase of this war,” Biden said.

The United States and allies were “moving as fast as possible” to provide [Ukraine with the equipment and weapons](https://www.financedigest.com/south-korea-has-not-supplied-lethal-weapons-to-ukraine-president-says.html "South Korea has not supplied lethal weapons to Ukraine, president says") it needs, he said.

The new arms package is the same size as an $800 million one announced last week. The president also announced plans to ban Russian-affiliated ships from U.S. borders, adding to a host of Western sanctions on Moscow.

After failing to capture the capital [Kyiv last month and being forced to withdraw from northern Ukraine](https://www.financedigest.com/kyiv-symphonys-european-tour-marks-cultural-front-in-ukraine-crisis.html "Kyiv Symphony’s European tour marks ‘cultural front’ in Ukraine crisis"), Russian forces regrouped this week to start a new offensive in the two eastern provinces known as the Donbas.

[Ukraine said Russian](https://www.financedigest.com/eastern-ukraine-town-empties-as-residents-fear-new-russian-assault.html "Eastern Ukraine town empties as residents fear new Russian assault") forces had failed so far to completely capture Rubizhne, a Donbas town that has been a focus of their advance.

The city of Kharkiv, [near the Russian](https://www.financedigest.com/russian-rouble-nears-4-week-high-versus-dollar.html "Russian rouble nears 4-week high versus dollar") supply lines into Donbas, came under heavy bombardment, its mayor said. A car was [hit as it drove in a residential district](https://www.financedigest.com/seoul-crush-hits-storied-itaewon-nightlife-district-on-verge-of-renewal.html "Seoul crush hits storied Itaewon nightlife district on verge of renewal"). Health officials said two people were killed.

(Reporting by Reuters journalists; Writing by Peter Graff and Angus MacSwan; Editing by Kevin Liffey, Alexandra Hudson)


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