UK says Russian commanders 'will be concerned by the time it is taking to subdue Mariupol'

As the Russian military offensive in Ukraine continues for more than 50 days, the UK Defence Ministry has issued its latest intelligence update about the ongoing situation. Taking to its official Twitter handle, the UK Defence Ministry has stated that the commanders of Russian armed forces will be "concerned" by the time Russian troops are taking to 'sudue Mariupol'. According to UK Defence Ministry, the resistance shown by Ukrainian soldiers has tested the Russian forces and diverted their troops. 

"Russian commanders will be concerned by the time it is taking to subdue Mariupol. Concerted Ukrainian resistance has severely tested Russian forces and diverted men and materiel, slowing Russia’s advance elsewhere," UK Defence Ministry said in the latest intelligence update. 

According to UK Defence Ministry, the efforts of forces to take control of Mariupol has affected the residents of the region as people have suffered "significant casualties." The UK Defence Ministry stated that the infrastructure has been destroyed in Mariupol. It further pointed out that plan of Russian armed forces in targeting populated areas within Mariupol is similar to the approach taken by Russians in Chechnya in 1999 and Syria in 2016. According to UK Defence Ministry, the Russian troops have targeted populated areas despite the claims of the Russian Defence Ministry on February 24 that it would not attack cities and pose a threat to the Ukrainian population. 

"The effort to capture Mariupol has come at significant cost to its residents. Large areas of infrastructure have been destroyed whilst the population has suffered significant casualties," the UK Defence Ministry said in the latest intelligence update. 

Ukrainian forces to fight Russian troops 'to the end': PM Denys Shmyhal

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has stated that the Ukrainian forces in Mariupol will resist the Russian soldiers "to the end." While speaking to ABC News 'This Week', Shmyhal added that the city has not fallen despite the Russian ultimatum to Ukrainian soldiers to surrender. He stressed that the people of Mariupol are suffering as they have no water, food, electricity and heat. Denys Shmyhal called on Ukrainian partners to support and help in preventing "humanitarian catastrophe." Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his address called Russian actions in Mariupol "just inhuman" and added that they were "deliberately" attempting to destroy everyone in Mariupol. 

Image: AP