Ukraine's PM claims defenders of Mariupol will fight Russian troops 'to the end'

As the Russia-Ukraine war has entered its 54th day, the Prime Minister of the war-torn nation, Denys Shmyhal has stated that defenders of the embattled port city of Mariupol will resist Russian soldiers until the end. During an interview with ABC News, Shmyhal had added that despite a Russian deadline for the remaining Ukrainian soldiers to surrender, the city has not yet fallen. Further, he highlighted the fact that the Russian ultimatum for Ukrainian soldiers in Mariupol to surrender was by daylight on Sunday which had been disregarded, BBC reported.  

Ukrainian Prime Minister Shmyhal said, “The city still has not fallen. There is still our military forces, our soldiers, so they will fight till the end. And as for now, they still are in Mariupol," according to a BBC report.  

Furthermore, the Russian military claims to have taken control of practically all of Mariupol, but the Azov Battalion of Ukraine continues to hold out at Azovstal, a massive steelwork overlooking the Azov Sea. The Port city is considered to be a key goal for the Russians, since capturing it would provide them with a swath of land connecting Crimea with an area held by pro-Russian separatist-held in the east. 

Ukraine is prepared to fight Russia for the next ten years: Zelenskyy

In addition to this, the embattled President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asserted that Ukraine is not willing to give up its land and is prepared to fight Russia for the next ten years, if necessary, RT reported. He also seemed to acknowledge that the present war began in the year 2014 when Kyiv, launched its first operation to recapture the Donbass region. 

During an exclusive interview with CNN, President Zelenskyy claimed that Ukraine is unwilling to give up land in the east of the nation in order to stop the conflict with Russia. He also said that Ukraine's army is ready to engage Moscow's forces in the Donbass area in a battle that might influence the entire war's course. 

Zelensky said, "This is why it is very important for us to not allow them, to stand our ground, because this battle ... it can influence the course of the whole war," CNN reported.  

Apart from these, Ukraine has urged Russian forces to establish humanitarian corridors out of the city to allow residents as well as injured Ukrainian soldiers to leave, but there have been no large-scale evacuations in many weeks, BBC reported. Civilians in the city, according to aid organisations, are in grave condition. Further, as the defenders of Mariupol continue to hold out, Ukrainian officials continue to rule out any territory compromises to Russia.

(Image: AP)