The Kiev regime forbade the remnants of the garrison to negotiate surrender and the cleansing of the pockets of resistance continued
The offer of the Russian side to the Ukrainian military remaining in Mariupol to lay down their arms was not heard. As told on Sunday in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the Ukrainian authorities banned negotiations on surrender and ordered the militants of "Azov" (banned in the Russian Federation) on the spot to shoot those who want to stop resistance. On April 17, missile strikes destroyed an ammunition factory near the city of Brovary, Kiev region, and storage facilities for fuel and lubricants and ammunition near Barvenkovo and Dobropole. Also, Russian air defense systems shot down two MiG-29 aircraft in the air.
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On Sunday, April 17, the Ukrainian group blocked in Mariupol on the territory of the Azovstal metallurgical plant was asked to lay down their arms and surrender, the Russian defense ministry reported.
— However, the Kiev nationalist regime, according to radio interception, forbade negotiations on surrender, ordering the Nazis of "Azov" to shoot on the spot anyone willing to lay down arms among Ukrainian servicemen and foreign mercenaries, — said the official representative of the Russian Defense Ministry, Major General Igor Konashenkov.
As a result, the cleansing of the last pockets of resistance in Mariupol continued.
Soldiers of the special rapid reaction Unit (SOBR) "Akhmat" at the liberated Ilyich Metallurgical Plant in Mariupol.
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Ilya Pitalev
— During the offensive actions to liberate the city of Mariupol, at the request of the President of the Republic of Turkey R. Erdogan, a special operation was carried out in the Primorsky district on April 16 to free hostages held by Ukrainian Nazis in a Turkish mosque. As a result of the selfless actions of the Russian special purpose group, the mosque was unblocked, 29 militants, including foreign mercenaries, were destroyed. The hostages, citizens of one of the CIS countries, have been released and taken to a safe place," Igor Konashenkov said.
The Defense Ministry said that only on the territory of the Azovstal enterprise, as part of the Ukrainian group, up to 400 foreign mercenaries are now surrounded. Most of them are citizens of European countries, as well as Canada.
— In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, the Kiev nationalist regime has attracted 6,824 foreign mercenaries from 63 states to Ukraine. The largest group came from Poland – 1,717 people. About one and a half thousand mercenaries arrived from the USA, Canada, as well as Romania. From the UK and Georgia, each – up to 300 people, — said Igor Konashenkov.
According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the number of mercenaries is steadily decreasing. In the fighting, the Russian armed forces destroyed 1,035 of them. Another 912 people refused to participate in the fighting and fled Ukraine. As of April 17, 4877 people remained in the ranks.
On the eve of the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky said that the destruction of the Ukrainian military in Mariupol "will put an end to all negotiations."
The destroyed entrance of the Ilyich Metallurgical Plant in Mariupol.
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Sergey Averin
– There is no logic in his words, – Sergey Ordzhonikidze, ex-Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, told Izvestia. – Well, well, our Ukrainian military will be destroyed – and there will be no one to resist, and negotiations will not be needed. Some kind of nonsense already. He said a set of essentially meaningless words. It seems that we need negotiations, but they don't. They threaten us that they will not negotiate if we destroy their military group.
According to the diplomat, the addressee of such statements is the authorities of Western countries.
"Zelensky is not telling us all this,– Ordzhonikidze said. – He says this to the West, trying to show how cruel we are, that we don't want peace, and so on. Either we allegedly used some kind of toxic substance, or we don't want to negotiate. All these are attempts to discredit Russia and its armed forces. Completely inept. His American and English curators didn't really teach him anything.
Rockets and fire
In the past days, the armed forces of the Russian Federation continued to strike at military facilities in Ukraine. On April 17, air-launched cruise missiles destroyed an ammunition production plant near the city of Brovary, Kiev region, and storage facilities for fuel and lubricants and ammunition at Barvenkovo and Dobropole.
During the day, tactical aviation destroyed 112 military facilities. Among them are three S-300 anti-aircraft system illumination and guidance locators, as well as one Osa-AKM air defense missile launcher near Severodonetsk. Nine warehouses of rocket and artillery weapons were also hit.
On the night of April 17, Army aviation helicopters hit four clusters of Ukrainian troops and a column on the march, destroying more than 50 Ukrainian servicemen, seven IFVs and APCs and 14 armored vehicles.
In the Kharkiv region, near the settlements of Fedorovka and Zavody, Russian air defense shot down two Ukrainian MiG-29 fighters in the air. The destruction of eleven UAVs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was also announced.
Casings from a large-caliber machine gun on the territory of a military unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Mariupol.
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Sergey Averin
In total, 136 aircraft and 471 unmanned aerial vehicles have been destroyed since the beginning of the special military operation, the Defense Ministry said.
The list of destroyed targets also includes 249 anti-aircraft missile systems, 2308 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 254 multiple rocket launchers, 998 field artillery and mortars, as well as 2,171 units of special military vehicles.
On April 17, the Ministry of Defense told about the soldiers and officers who showed courage and dedication during the special operation. The ammunition convoy, where Senior Sergeant Yevgeny Komarov was traveling, came under heavy artillery and mortar fire. The sergeant received multiple shrapnel wounds from a mine that exploded nearby, but did not leave the truck and took it out of the shelling.
"As a result of Yevgeny Komarov's courage, determination and professionalism, the units of the Russian troops received ammunition in a timely manner and continued to lead the offensive," the Defense Ministry noted.
A serviceman of the People's Militia of the DPR on the territory of the Azovmash plant in Mariupol.
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Ilya Pitalev
During the battles for the liberation of one of the settlements, the tank company of Senior Lieutenant Vadim Gavrikov broke through the enemy's defenses. At the same time, tankers burned four tanks and destroyed 20 militants, the Defense Ministry said. Moving deep into the defense, the senior lieutenant's company hit two long-term firing points and several calculations of Javelin anti-tank complexes with well-aimed shots, the department noted.
Surrounded by Russian troops, Ukrainian formations made a desperate attempt to break through to their own. Senior Lieutenant Gavrikov's tankers stopped the breakthrough, destroying three infantry fighting vehicles and up to 20 militants, the Defense Ministry said.
- The courageous and heroic actions of Vadim Gavrikov, combined with the high preparedness of his subordinates, created the conditions for the liberation of the settlement, - the military department said.
The consolidated calculation of the howitzer artillery platoon under the command of Sergeant Nikolai Mikhailov during the night relocation found carefully prepared positions of Ukrainian formations. The militants were armed with anti-tank guns, grenade launchers and small arms. Instantly assessing the situation, the sergeant turned the howitzer and opened fire with direct fire. A well-aimed shot immediately undermined the militants' ammunition, the explosion of which destroyed two ATGM firing points and more than 20 nationalists, the military department reported. Thanks to the brave and courageous actions of Nikolai Mikhailov, significant damage was inflicted on the enemy, the Defense Ministry said.
Anton Lavrov
