Siege of Mariupol

For other uses, see Battle of Mariupol.

Siege of Mariupol
Part of the eastern Ukraine offensive and the southern Ukraine offensive in the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Damaged buildings in Mariupol, 16 March 2022
Date24 February – 20 May 2022
(2 months, 3 weeks and 5 days)
Location
Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine
47°05′53″N 37°36′36″E / 47.098°N 37.61°E / 47.098; 37.61
Result Russian victory[1][2]
Territorial
changes		 Russia captures the city of Mariupol
Belligerents
  Ukraine
Commanders and leaders
Mikhail Mizintsev[3][4] Volodymyr Baranyuk (POW)[5][6]
Serhii Volynskyi (POW)[7]
Denys Prokopenko (POW)[8][9]
Units involved

Russian Armed Forces

DPR People's Militia

Ukrainian Armed Forces
Inside Mariupol:[17]

Other involved units:

Strength
14,000[31] 3,500[31]–8,000[32][33]
Casualties and losses
Per Ukraine:
6,500 killed
80 tanks destroyed
100 other armored vehicles destroyed[34][35]

Per Russia:
4,200+ killed,[c]
3,917 captured[d]
277 defected[38]

Per Ukraine:
906+ killed,[39][40][41][42][43]
3,500+ captured,[44]
1 defected[45]

Per United Nations:
1,348 civilians killed confirmed
(total number thought "thousands higher")[46][47][48]
Per Russia:
3,000+ civilians killed[49]
Per Ukraine:
25,000+ civilians killed[50][51]
50,000+ deported[52]

Per Human Rights Watch:
8,034 excess deaths[53]

The siege of Mariupol began on 24 February 2022 and lasted until 20 May, as part of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It saw fighting between the Russian Armed Forces (alongside the Donetsk People's Republic People's Militia) and the Ukrainian Armed Forces for control over the city of Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine. Lasting for almost three months, the siege ended in a victory for Russia and the Donetsk People's Republic, as Ukraine lost control of the city amidst Russia's eastern Ukraine offensive and southern Ukraine offensive; all Ukrainian troops remaining in the city surrendered at the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works on 20 May 2022,[54][55] after they were ordered to cease fighting.[56][57][23][58]

Mariupol is located in Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast, and following the siege, it was initially controlled by the Donetsk People's Republic, supported by occupying Russian troops. However, it was later subjected to Russia's annexation of southeastern Ukraine, and remains under direct Russian control as of 2024.

During the Russian siege, the Red Cross described the situation in Mariupol as "apocalyptic" while Ukrainian authorities accused Russia of engineering a major humanitarian crisis in the city.[59][60] Ukrainian officials reported that approximately 25,000 civilians had been killed[50][51] and that at least 95% of the city had been destroyed during the fighting, primarily by large-scale Russian bombardments.[61] In an official statement, the United Nations confirmed the deaths of 1,348 civilians in Mariupol, but warned that the true death toll was likely thousands higher while also reporting that 90% of the city's residential buildings had been damaged or completely destroyed.[46][47][48]

Major combat operations in the city effectively ended on 16 May 2022, after Ukraine's Azov Regiment surrendered at the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works.[1][62][63][64][65][55] Some Western reports described the siege as a pyrrhic[66][67] or symbolic[68] Russian victory, with others noting that the humanitarian impact of the takeover was a "reputational disaster" for Russia.[69] However, the loss of the city was a significant defeat for Ukraine.[70]

Based on the analysis of mass graves, Human Rights Watch estimated at least 10,284 people died in Mariupol from March 2022 to February 2023, but assumes that is an undercount.[71]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference nytimes16 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "A timeline of how the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol fell". The Week. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  3. ^ Taylor, Adam; Branigin, William (1 April 2022). "Russian general dubbed 'butcher of Mariupol' is a mystery to experts". The Washington Post. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  4. ^ Batchelor, Tom (25 March 2022). "'Butcher of Mariupol' accused of ordering maternity hospital bombing six years after destroying Aleppo". The Independent. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  5. ^ "Russian media claim Ukrainian Marine commander in captivity after leaving Azovmash plant". 8 May 2022.
  6. ^ "Two defenders of Mariupol became Heroes of Ukraine". 19 March 2022. Archived from the original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  7. ^ "Повернений з полону захисник Маріуполя із Полтави Сергій Волинський "Волина" перебуватиме у Туреччині: що відомо" (in Ukrainian).
  8. ^ "На "Азовстали" сдался командир батальона "Азов"" (in Russian). RBK Group. 20 May 2022.
  9. ^ Official appeal of Azov commander, the major Denis Prokopenko, to the world community. Національний Корпус. 7 March 2022. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ a b c "Russian Invasion Of Ukraine: The Battle Of Mariupol, Or A Ukrainian Stalingrad". Warsaw Institute. 15 March 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference AP 2022-03-15 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Lock, Samantha; Anguiano, Dani; Luscombe, Richard; Chao-Fong, Léonie; Belam, Martin (20 April 2022). "Russian forces seize Kreminna in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region – as it happened". The Guardian.
  13. ^ Clark, Mason; Barros, George; Stepanenko, Kateryna (16 March 2022). "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, March 16". Institute for the Study of War. Archived from the original on 23 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  14. ^ a b Mendick, Robert (28 March 2022). "Devastated Mariupol teeters on the brink, but Ukrainian troops refuse to abandon the fallen". Yahoo! News.
  15. ^ Matthew Loh (6 April 2022). "A soldier wearing Nazi imagery was given a medal by a Russia-backed separatist republic for killing Ukrainian 'nationalists'". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  16. ^ Steshin, Dmitry (15 March 2022). "Александр Ходаковский: Мы в Мариуполь две недели вгрызаемся. А тут приехали чеченцы – красивые, бородатые — чуть колонной на город не пошли". Komsomolskaya Pravda (in Russian).
  17. ^ a b c d Zelenskyy, Volodymyr (19 March 2022). "Meaningful talks on peace and security for Ukraine are the only chance for Russia to reduce the damage from its own mistakes". President of Ukraine. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  18. ^ Cite error: The named reference DW 2022-03-16 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  19. ^ Український Меморіал
  20. ^ Kovalenko, Serhiy (2 April 2022). "Дмитро Апухтін героїчно загинув, обороняючи Маріуполь". ArmyInform (in Ukrainian).
  21. ^ "Олег Грудзевич. Командир, який вивів свій підрозділ з окупованого Маріуполя". Главком | Glavcom (in Ukrainian). 13 August 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  22. ^ a b Tom Bateman (13 April 2022). "Ukraine: The critical fight for 'heart of this war' Mariupol". BBC News. Retrieved 27 April 2022. I want to separately address those heroes who are having a very hard time. Those who defend Mariupol. A marine battalion of the 36th marine brigade, Azov special operations detachment, 12th operational brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine. Subdivisions of the State Border Guard Service. Volunteers of the "Right Sector". The 555th military hospital and National Police employees.
  23. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference rescue500 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  24. ^ "Russian invasion update: Ukraine repels tank attack, captures six Russians in Mariupol". Ukrinform. 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  25. ^ Thomas Eydoux (30 March 2022). "In Mariupol, a war of images to prove who controls the city". The Observers – France 24. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  26. ^ Криворіжця Миколу Ніконова, капітана 2 рангу, посмертно нагородили Зіркою Героя України
  27. ^ MacKinnon, Mark (13 April 2022). "Fight for Mariupol not over, commander of foreign legion says, despite Russian claims more than 1,000 Ukrainian marines surrendered". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  28. ^ Adler, Nils; King, Laura (28 January 2022). "'Everything that needs to be done': Ukraine citizen soldiers prepare for Russia threat". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 23 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022. Its defenders — both the regular Ukraine army and the irregular forces mustering for battle
  29. ^ a b Krikunenko, Iryna (7 April 2022). "Брат по зброї. Командир чеченських добровольців, який воює за Україну, розповідає про свої три війни з Росією". NV (in Ukrainian).
  30. ^ a b Gribchatov, Evgeny (26 April 2022). "Кадыров объявил награду 1 млн долларов за информацию о чеченских боевиках в Мариуполе". Moskovskij Komsomolets (in Russian).
  31. ^ a b "Hundreds of thousands face catastrophe in Mariupol". The Economist. 21 March 2022. Archived from the original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022. Ukrainian forces in Mariupol are vastly outnumbered, with 3,500 soldiers facing 14,000 invaders, around a tenth of the total estimated Russian force in the country.
  32. ^ "Putin says Russia has seized Mariupol, calls off storm of Ukrainian troops". Fortune.
  33. ^ "Over 8,000 Ukrainian troops, mercenaries were in Mariupol at time of encirclement — Shoigu". TASS.
  34. ^ "Ukraine's 3rd Separate Assault Brigade: Everything you need to know". global.espreso.tv.
  35. ^ "Оборона Маріуполя: ЗСУ знищили щонайменше 6 500 загарбників".
  36. ^ "Russia Says All Urban Areas of Mariupol Cleared of Ukrainian Forces". Voice of America.
  37. ^ "Mariupol mayor's aide challenges rebel claim of mass body find". BBC News. 31 May 2022.
  38. ^ "Disappearing of the 501st Marine Battalion: Unknown Circumstances of Captivity - MIHR". МІПЛ.
  39. ^ "As part of exchanges with Russia, Ukraine received more than 400 bodies of soldiers". Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  40. ^ "Ukraine returned the bodies of another 45 fallen soldiers – News". 19 July 2022. Archived from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  41. ^ "Another transfer of bodies took place: 17 fallen defenders returned – News". 9 August 2022. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  42. ^ "Another 16 bodies of dead defenders who defended Mariupol were brought to Kyiv – News". 10 August 2022. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  43. ^ "541 bodies of Ukrainian defenders brought back to Ukraine Commissioner for Missing Persons". Yahoo News. 27 August 2022.
  44. ^ More than 1,000 reported surrendered before the start of the Azovstal siege mid-April, "Azov Regiment believes Russian troops should have been stopped on Crimeas border". Ukrayinska Pravda. 8 May 2022 – via Yahoo! News. with another 2,500 surrendering following the Azovstal siege, Leo Sands (6 June 2022). "Ukraine war: Severodonetsk and Lysychansk are dead cities – Zelensky". BBC News. for a total of 3,500+ prisoners taken.
  45. ^ "Commander linked to capture of 277 Ukrainian military personnel in Mariupol charged with high treason". english.nv.ua.
  46. ^ a b "High Commissioner updates the Human Rights Council on Mariupol, Ukraine". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
  47. ^ a b Regan, Helen; Khalil, Hafsa; Guy, Jack; Upright, Ed; Hammond, Elise; Vogt, Adrienne; Sangal, Aditi (17 June 2022). "UN says more than 1,300 civilians killed in Mariupol — but true toll "likely thousands higher"". CNN.
  48. ^ a b "UN says more than 1,300 civilians killed in Mariupol — but true toll "likely thousands higher"". 17 June 2022.
  49. ^ "Russia says 3,000 civilians killed in Mariupol, blames Ukraine". anews.
  50. ^ a b "The agony of not knowing, as Mariupol mass burial sites grow". BBC News. 7 November 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  51. ^ a b Cookman, Liz (24 February 2023). "'I had no idea I'd never go back': Mariupol survivors, a year on". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  52. ^ "Occupying forces have deported more than 50,000 Mariupol residents to Russia and temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts". Ukrayinska Pravda. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  53. ^ "Counting the Dead: Documenting Loss in Mariupol, a Ukrainian City Besieged and Devastated". 8 February 2024.
  54. ^ "Russia says remaining 531 Azovstal defenders surrender, steelworks siege over". 20 May 2022.
  55. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference trapped was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  56. ^ "Ukraine war: Last Ukrainian troops in Mariupol told to stop defence of city". Sky News.
  57. ^ Cite error: The named reference 22 April analysis was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  58. ^ "Russia Says All Urban Areas of Mariupol Cleared of Ukrainian Forces". Voice of America. 16 April 2022. Archived from the original on 18 April 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  59. ^ "Russia accused of 'holding 400,000 people hostage' in Mariupol". The Guardian. 9 March 2022. Archived from the original on 9 March 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  60. ^ "Photos: Mariupol residents suffer as Russian forces lay siege". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 9 March 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  61. ^ Holly Ellyatt (18 April 2022). "Mariupol hasn't surrendered to Russia, PM says; at least 5 dead, 20 injured in Kharkiv attack". CNBC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  62. ^ "Hundreds of Ukrainian troops evacuated from Mariupol steelworks after 82-day assault". The Guardian. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  63. ^ "Минобороны показало кадры сдачи в плен украинских военных с "Азовстали"" (in Russian). RBK Group. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  64. ^ "UPDATE 3-Azovstal siege ends as hundreds of Ukrainian fighters surrender – Reuters witness". Yahoo! Finance. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  65. ^ "Fate of hundreds of Ukrainian fighters uncertain after surrender". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  66. ^ "Mariupol a 'Pyrrhic victory' for Russia: military analyst". Deutsche Welle. 18 May 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  67. ^ Spencer, Richard (17 May 2022). "Defiance of Azovstal steelworks defenders ensures Putin wins only a pyrrhic victory". The Times. London. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  68. ^ Prince, Todd (18 May 2022). "Russia's Capture Of Azovstal: Symbolic Success, 'Pyrrhic' Victory?". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  69. ^ "Ukraine ends Mariupol battle; Azovstal steel plant fighters evacuated…". The Washington Post. 18 May 2022. Archived from the original on 18 May 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  70. ^ Harrison, Virginia (17 May 2022). "Hundreds of Ukrainian troops evacuated from Mariupol steelworks after 82-day assault". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 May 2022. The evacuation is likely to mark the end of the longest and bloodiest battle of the Ukraine war and a significant defeat for Ukraine.
  71. ^ "Beneath the Rubble: Documenting Devastation and Loss in Mariupol". Human Rights Watch. 8 February 2024. Retrieved 10 February 2024.


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