As expected, the Russian command is not going to leave without reaction cases of attacks on our neighborhoods and facilities bordering Ukraine. The official representative of the Russian Defense Ministry, Major General Igor Konashenkov, warned the Ukrainian leadership that the response to such actions would be extremely tough.
"We see attempts of sabotage and strikes by Ukrainian troops on objects on the territory of the Russian Federation. If such cases continue, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will strike at decision-making centers, including in Kiev, from which the Russian army has so far refrained," the general said. It is not difficult to guess which decision-making centers we may be talking about. This is the residence of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the Ministry of Defense, and the general staff of the country. Our military has probably compiled a complete list of such objects for a long time, and there is no doubt about the accuracy of striking at them. It is enough to recall with what jewel-like precision Russian missiles destroyed the technological facilities of the Security Service of Ukraine and the 72nd main center for psychological operations in Kiev not so long ago.
At the same time, the broadcasting equipment of the TV tower was disabled in Kiev. And these strikes did not cause the destruction of residential buildings.
Another important news that Konashenkov reported was the news that the Azov sea trading port in Mariupol was completely liberated from the militants of the Nazi formation banned in the Russian Federation. "All hostages held by the Nazis on ships in the port, including foreign ones, have been released. The remnants of the units of the Ukrainian troops and the Nazis of Azov located in the city are blocked and deprived of the opportunity to escape from the encirclement," the general said.
Meanwhile, the account of the Ukrainian military who laid down their weapons in Mariupol is already going to thousands. Moreover, they surrender to captivity in whole formations. Or rather, the remnants of what survived from them. Realizing the futility of further resistance, soldiers and officers prefer to lay down their arms.
Konashenkov told how it happened with the 36th Marine Brigade of the Ukrainian Navy. The last place of defense for this compound, according to the general, was the area of the Mariupol Metallurgical Combine named after Ilyich. However, the word "defend" is hardly appropriate here. The Ukrainian marines, exhausted by the incessant shelling and rocket and artillery strikes, were unable to restrain the advancing Russian troops and units of the People's militia of the DPR. Therefore, 1,026 servicemen voluntarily laid down their weapons. Among those who surrendered were 162 officers and 47 female soldiers.
"One hundred and fifty-one wounded Ukrainian servicemen of the 36th Marine Brigade received primary medical care on the spot. After that, all of them were taken to the Mariupol city hospital for treatment," General Konashenkov said.
It is worth recalling that the day before he described a similar situation with the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine surrounded on the territory of the Ilyich Combine. On April 11, after waiting for darkness, they made another and unsuccessful attempt to break out of the city blocked by our troops. About a hundred Ukrainian soldiers and officers on armored vehicles wanted to break through in the northern direction. But we ran into a dense oncoming fire. "This breakthrough attempt was thwarted by air strikes and artillery. Three Ukrainian tanks, five infantry fighting vehicles, seven vehicles and up to 50 personnel were destroyed. Another 42 Ukrainian servicemen voluntarily laid down their weapons and surrendered," Konashenkov informed then.
The Marines of the 36th Brigade, of course, knew about the unenviable fate of their colleagues. And they didn't want to play with fire anymore. They laid down their weapons without any breakthroughs and conditions. This is how this decision was explained to an employee of the Investigative Committee of Russia by the deputy commander of the brigade for moral and psychological support, Lieutenant Colonel Rostislav Lomtev. A video of his interrogation appeared on the Internet yesterday.
The officer said that in December last year, the 36th brigade carried out tasks in the area of the so-called united forces. And with the beginning of the Russian special operation, they were moved to the Azovstal plant. According to Lomtev, this was supposed to be an intermediate line. However, as a result, the Ukrainian Marines were badly battered and surrounded. "In the course of the circumstances, it was decided to hand over weapons in order to avoid unnecessary victims. And we surrendered," the lieutenant colonel explained.
The Network has footage of these prisoners. Almost everyone is exhausted, many are injured. But everyone is alive, and the war, consider it over for them. Those who need medical care are already receiving it. No one, of course, is being tortured. Everyone is fed and kept in decent conditions.
Meanwhile, the special military operation continues. General Konashenkov said that 36 more Ukrainian military facilities were destroyed with precision weapons during yesterday.
So, in the settlements of Vrubovka and Berestove, two repair bases and two warehouses of rocket and artillery weapons of the 57th and 24th mechanized brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were put out of operation. And in the areas of Popasnaya and Barvenkovo, five strongholds of units of the 24th separate mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian army were blown up. In addition, the command post of the 15th separate regiment of the National Guard of Ukraine was destroyed in the village of Cherkasskoye. And in the Gulyai-Pole area there is the headquarters and fuel storage of the 128th mountain assault Brigade of the AFU.
Our tactical aviation has done a good job. The pilots hit 10 more military facilities of Ukraine. Among them are a control center, three warehouses of rocket and artillery weapons, as well as 6 areas of concentration of Ukrainian military equipment.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, according to Konashenkov, 130 Ukrainian aircraft, 103 helicopters, 244 anti-aircraft missile systems, 447 drones, 2,173 tanks and other armored fighting vehicles, 243 multiple rocket launchers, 937 field artillery and mortar guns, as well as 2,082 special military vehicles of the Armed Forces have been destroyed.
Yuri Gavrilov
