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Putin claims victory in Mariupol despite steel mill holdouts

74 Comments
By ADAM SCHRECK

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74 Comments

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Thank you for teaching me something new, Peter! I will definitely try to learn more about the secession rules in other countries are. In the US, it is strictly forbidden and we had a very nasty civil war when our slave-holding southern states tried to secede illegally.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

AS - maybe in some countries it is legal, but not in the Ukraine, nor in my country, the US.

When the English colonies in Australia came together in federation in 1901, WA retained the right to remove itself from federation at any time should the people of WA vote to do so. It is written into the founding documents of Australian Federation. No other state or territory has that right to separate from the Federation. So it depends on the constitution of the country concerned. If it is not a written right then it is up for debate. In those instances the entire nation should get a vote, in my opinion.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko accused the Russians

Some very brave mayor who constantly makes bold statements, but

This "mayor" run far away from the city before the combat. He have done nothing to help residens of Mariupol.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

Didn't Hitler claim victory in Stalingrad when the Russians were still just hanging on there? History show what happened there.

Putin becoming more and more like the desperate Hitler who claimed victories before they happened and in the case of Stalingrad, never happened.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

How can a satellite image even show a grave?

It's evidence of nothing. What's buried there if anything? People or livestock? If people, soldiers or civilians? Ukrainians or Russians or mix?

I really wish people would have more critical thinking skills instead of just parroting anything they read fitting their world view.

Google Earth can pick out the individual padeyes on the flight decks of US Navy ships in port. It can pick out details of my house and the cracks in the pavement of my street. It can pick out the playground equipment at the neighborhood elementary school. The US had military satellites in the 1980s that reportedly could read a car's license plate. Most satellites circle the world in about 45 minutes allowing nice tightly spaced time lapses of activity at any site in the world. It is not hard to see changes over time and yes, something the size of a mass grave will show up clearly. With a satellite passing over every 45 minutes it is very difficult to hide activities like digging a big pit and putting bodies in there unless you have detailed knowledge of when satellites will be overhead and make careful plans to hide activities when you know a satellite is passing over. But the disturbed ground of a grave is impossible to hide.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

I cant believe the pro Putin comments on this story.

Critical thinkers eh ?

Parrots more likely

Given how the Kremlin targets social media as a route to get its propaganda out, it is very believable. As a war, Ukraine is being fought on many fronts, and social media is one of them.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Ok, Peeping Tom - I did check the timeline of the 1991 Desert Storm and you are correct. You get a point. Good job.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

AS - Regarding Kosovo, the much earlier air operations were to help prevent the genocide of the Kosovar Albanians, which was a good thing, imo. As far as their separation from Serbia, that is definitely a trickier matter. Are you ok with Kosovo's declaration of independence? I'm not sure if I am.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

AS - I suppose I have to disagree with you on the hypothetical US response to my hypothetical declarations of independence, but my question was more about how you think Russia and China would react.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

"I would imagine that you are referring to the 2003 invasion"

And I would imagine you know (extremely well) I'm referring to Desert Storm, 1991.

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

AS - that was a long time ago, things change. But yes, technically it was illegal. If we have to go back multiple centuries for "gotchas", then why stop there?

Seriously? Kosovo 2008!

Oh wait you where ignoring that just pointing out the USA, right?

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

Sorry - not AS, Addfwyn

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed victory Thursday in the battle for Mariupol despite an estimated 2,000 Ukrainian fighters still holed up at a giant steel mill,

They blocked. They have no heavy weapons. They lost the very last tank.

They just wait.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

AS - that was a long time ago, things change. But yes, technically it was illegal. If we have to go back multiple centuries for "gotchas", then why stop there?

5 ( +6 / -1 )

AS - Not just US-supported countries, but what do you think would happen if Chechnya decided to secede from the RF or if Tibet decided to secede from China?

The USA would recognize both faster than the speed of light.!

As it has done in the past for things it likes a supports regardless of the double standard.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

AS - maybe in some countries it is legal, but not in the Ukraine, nor in my country, the US.

That is a specifically really strange example to use. Do you consider yourself a British citizen still then? I mean, points for consistency if that is the case.

Putin in this sense is smart not giving the "Martyrs" what they want, eventually they will slowly die surender, and fade from the news.

I would be surprised if it actually ended up that way. More likely it will be a repeat of Snake Island, they will quietly surrender after some period of time and it will get brushed away because it doesn't make nearly as good a headline. No need to risk lives storming the location until then.

Unless they are the remnants of Azov, in which case I doubt they surrender because there is no winnable situation for them.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Ukraine war could plunge millions into malnutrition if global powers don’t intervene, experts say

https://weightlossnormal.com/ukraine-war-could-plunge-millions-into-malnutrition-if-global-powers-dont-intervene-experts-say/

5 ( +5 / -0 )

AS - Not just US-supported countries, but what do you think would happen if Chechnya decided to secede from the RF or if Tibet decided to secede from China?

6 ( +7 / -1 )

AS - maybe in some countries it is legal, but not in the Ukraine, nor in my country, the US.

So basically you are saying it is legally recognized worldwide but not in places the USA supports! Ok got it, double USA standard, USA states cannot separate but the USA will support Kosovo because it likes the idea!

Hypocrisy 101.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

Does that mean 2,000 Ukrainian fighters still holed up at a giant steel mill will eventually die of hunger as there is no sign of their surrender yet?

What a gruesome if not grotesque 'victory' for Putin..

So what is the difference? They and Zelensky have already said they will not surender or be taken prisoner and will fight and die to the last person effectively giving Zelensky his "Martyrs". So they die one way or the other, they already chose to die as there is no way they will beat the Russians at this point!

Putin in this sense is smart not giving the "Martyrs" what they want, eventually they will slowly die surender, and fade from the news.

But what is more interesting is how the west found the WW2 Japanese " no surender no retreat" and the German and Soviet similar attitude unacceptable. Today western media is praising these holdouts are some sort of great heroes, strange how things get flipped on their heads when it is the side you support!

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

AS - the breakup of the Soviet Union was different than a region trying to leave a country. I'm happy for you that the referendum process in Canada is different (and also probably pretty fair and open), but that doesn't change the fact that secession is illegal in Ukraine.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

The issue is simple and Michael Machida spells it out for us: it's the inhumanity, stupid! Anyone who condones the Kremlin's "special operation", war by any other name, has never experienced the surreal terror of modern warfare, never seen or smelled the mutilated corpses, or heard the screams of violated women and terrified children and all the crying and sobbing of families who lost their loved ones together with their homes and memories destroyed by bombs and bullets. Any other response to Putin's war crimes in plain sight can only elicit disgust with the homicidal impulses of our humankind and contempt for the pitiless apologists for death and destruction. Our lives on planet earth, a rock hurtling through space at 67,000 mph, are so short anyway so why treat each other with such hate and acts of violence?

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Peeping Tom - I would imagine that you are referring to the 2003 invasion, because that is the one that most people are more correctly upset with, but the air and ground offenses occurred almost simultaneously. So, are you referring to the 1991 invasion?

The 2003 invasion of Iraq[a] was the first stage of the Iraq War The air invasion phase began on March 19, 2003. The ground invasion phase began on March 20, 2003 and lasted just over one month,[24] including 26 days of major combat operations, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq. 22 days after the first day of the invasion, the capital city of Baghdad was captured by Coalition forces on 9 April 2003 after the six day long Battle of Baghdad.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

AS - maybe in some countries it is legal, but not in the Ukraine, nor in my country, the US.

strange just the region voting to separate has been done many time, just the region unilaterally declaring independence has been a staple of the formation of countries for quite some time.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Putin claims victory in Mariupol despite steel mill holdouts:

Does that mean 2,000 Ukrainian fighters still holed up at a giant steel mill will eventually die of hunger as there is no sign of their surrender yet?

What a gruesome if not grotesque 'victory' for Putin..

4 ( +6 / -2 )

2020 - I am trying to look for a more Mariupol-specific breakdown, but the more I read about the 2014 referenda, the worse and worse it looks. Very literally, almost nobody has accepted the results as accurate and legitimate.

What a piece of work the Self-Proclaimed Head of the Donetsk People's Republic is:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_Pushilin

8 ( +9 / -1 )

"Are you talking about 1991 or 2003?"

Not difficult for you to find out which one.

"Either way, this is not correct,"

Oh, 1000% sure.

-7 ( +2 / -9 )

As in most of the world, one cannot just vote their vote way to "independence" without the consent of the rest of the country. Otherwise, what would prevent each of us from simply voting their way out of our own countries?

Strange just the region voting to separate has been done many time, just the region unilaterally declaring independence has been a staple of the formation of countries for quite some time.

Then I guess the USA should still be part of the UK seeing the rest of the UK never approved it, more recently Kosovo seeing the rest of Serbia never got a say, or does this only apply to what the USA and the west like?

I mean under that same thinking then the Ukraine would still be part of Russia or at least the remnants or the Soviet Union seeing the rest of the Union and Russia never got to vote to approve it leaving.

Do you see how silly it sounds.

Places like Canada had 2 referendums on Quebec independence only held in Quebec, had it voted to leave Canada do you think Canada would say "no" the rest need to give you permission!?

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

It is a very small war and it will be forgotten very quickly. Even the great wars (Hiroshima-Nagasaki) are not in memory anymore.

-8 ( +2 / -10 )

UChosePoorly

2020hindsights - I am sure Mr. K has a source for that, right Mr. K?

Yes, he probably would quote the referendum in Donetsk Oblast. Of course, the referendum was completely illegitimate and a farce.

6 ( +10 / -4 )

Well, the US bombed Iraq furiously for 6 weeks before putting a single boot on the ground.

Are you talking about 1991 or 2003? Either way, this is not correct, but just curious which one you were referencing.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

" Scared. It taken 2 months to take a one town not even a city"

Well, the US bombed Iraq furiously for 6 weeks before putting a single boot on the ground.

Guess they were "scared" then!

-9 ( +2 / -11 )

At any rate, the 2014 "referenda" were a farce and also not legal under Ukrainian Law.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Donbas_status_referendums

According to article 73 of the 1996 Constitution of Ukraine, and article 3 of the 2012 law on referendums, territorial changes can only be approved via a referendum if all citizens of Ukraine are allowed to vote, including those that do not reside in the area.

As in most of the world, one cannot just vote their vote way to "independence" without the consent of the rest of the country. Otherwise, what would prevent each of us from simply voting their way out of our own countries?

7 ( +8 / -1 )

There's no winning this war. Everyone is a loser unless Putin is taken down.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

2020hindsights - I am sure Mr. K has a source for that, right Mr. K?

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Mr Kipling

The people of Mariupol voted overwhelmingly in 2014 to join the Republic of Donetsk.

No they didn't.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Russia was a super power. 2 months on Russia has run away from a fight in the north, Scared. It taken 2 months to take a one town not even a city. 20,000 dead Russians 1000,s of tanks and heavy armour. It seem Putin tin soldiers are much chop. Yes Putin is a winner Not. Soon other countries will take notice of Putin useless tin army and make moves for better allies. Look at Hungary. for being a Putin Allie has cost them 40 billion withheld by the EU.

6 ( +10 / -4 )

The people of Mariupol voted overwhelmingly in 2014 to join the Republic of Donetsk. Its a very Russian town.

Strange then that the russian military were not met with hugs and kisses and flowers in gratitude for their 'liberation'......?

Silly me, of course they were too preoccupied dodging artillery shells, being bombed in theatres and maternity hospitals and trying (and mostly failing) to find safe passage out of the city westwards to notice that they were being liberated.

Explain to me again why Mad Vlad is deliberately killing the very people he says he is there to 'save'?

12 ( +15 / -3 )

Not all Russian people are bad.

However, the Russian government’s propaganda machine has convinced too many Russians that Ukrainians are non-human and that the torture, rape and murder of them is appropriate.

Russia, as with the end of Nazi Germany, will have to be educated in Peaceful Civilizations 101.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

Well the overwhelming population of Mariupol have fled Russian terror or in mass grave, so if you think a desolate empty city smelling of corpse are a welcoming party. Don’t invite me to one of your parties.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

Thanks to the Russian demolition of Mariupol's superannuated steel mill the Ukrainians will be able to build back better with a state of the art steelworks funded by Russia's impounded monies after the unwanted occupiers finally see the writing on the wall  (Иди на хуй) and depart with their tail between their legs.

3 ( +8 / -5 )

Expect the Potemkin Village world of the Kremlin to ratchet up even their beyond crazy level of fantasy and kookiness as the May 9th Victory Day approaches...

Putin will "arrange" for thousands of Ukrainian civilian women and children he illegally captured and then forcibly took to Russia to suddenly "appear" at the military parade celebration...carrying Russian flags and cheering their "liberation"...

Also marching will be all 500 sailors from the Moskva...who will all say their ship didn't sink and is currently acting as a cruise liner evacuating Ukrainians from Mariupol...

Throwing a bone to his best US friend, he will announce that all four of Hunter Biden's laptops have been found In Ukraine and are being "forensically analyzed" by the FSB, with results being turned over to Roger Stone...

He'll also say that Russian scientists have found 5G network towers do cause COVID and religious-funded space lasers are to blame for forest fires...

7 ( +10 / -3 )

 in all of it's history Russia has never been looked on so favorably among the masses of the world as it is now

Masses where? In authoritarian hell holes like China or sub-saharan Africa? Weird flex, but I'll give you that. Russia is very well-respected amongst the most disreputable of nations.

9 ( +13 / -4 )

The amazing thing is, as the net citizens talk strategy of Putin the main focus here is not what he is doing or what he will do next, it is that Putin in the first place is a War Criminal and Murderer who needs to be stopped in his tracks. Most people around the word want peace. So, how can anyone in their right minds treat this illegal war like its a mere chess game? People are dying, losing their husbands, wives, children, family pets, homes, they have no food, water, and are getting bombed 24/7. We are not there but many people sit behind their computers talking strategy of the corrupt evil little demon that looks like a man but in reality is not. We should be discussing how to stop this illegal war and go after Putin to face a tribunal.

13 ( +17 / -4 )

It is strange the way people are acting, like nothing ever said in the past and reality doesn't exist.

Of course Putin isn't going to go in and take the place, than is what Zelensky and the rest wanted, they want "Martyrs" for the cause, that is why so many praised the holdouts in the steel plant for saying they will never surrender and fight to the last man!

Which is kind of interesting that they are praising this "to the lastan, never surrender" when the west since 1945 has called such action "fanaticism" when it was the Germans holding out in Berlin or the USSR in Stalingrad wasting human lives in a lost cause.

Mariupol is lost for now what purpose would it serve for these soldiers to die with no chance of winning? Only one A modern day "remember the Alamo"!

I thought we had gone passed that sort of fanaticism!

No Putin will just let the fade, hunger, thirst, etc...he isn't going to give them their and Zelensky's heroic martyrs deaths.

-15 ( +7 / -22 )

Putin: “Mariupol has been liberated.”

”They mill make a desert and call it peace.”

6 ( +9 / -3 )

The people of Mariupol voted overwhelmingly in 2014 to join the Republic of Donetsk. Its a very Russian town. Though it looks like the factory will need more than a touch of paint to restart production.

then move to Russia, why live in a territory that’s not Russian? That makes no sense. Did these people not notice it wasn’t Russia? Not the smartest of people.

8 ( +14 / -6 )

Rodney: Putin is a dead man walking. Your backing a loser, That steel work is not a productive mill for EU standards For Ukarian to join the EU that steel work will take a few billions to get back online to EU standards. In other words a complete new steelworks even before the Russian invasion. So Rodney you don't know much at all and that is the reason why your backing a loser. Putin is a dead man walking.

15 ( +20 / -5 )

I cant believe the pro Putin comments on this story.

Critical thinkers eh ?

Parrots more likely.

There are dozens of nations in Europe with intelligence operations contributing to the overall picture of Putin the Butcher.

Then add the reports ON THE GROUND from Red Cross and journalists with video and still photos.

And yes, technology allows satellites to see graves while in space.

I can use a $50 telescope to see the moons details from earth.

Russia's name is mud now and will be for a hundred years.

17 ( +23 / -6 )

Putin claims victory in Mariupol despite steel mill holdouts

Ok, I pretend to believe you. Now STOP KILLING and GET OUT. AT ONCE!

8 ( +13 / -5 )

Win lose or draw, Russia will be an economic basket case by time this is finished. Putin has single handedly broken the country. The people of russia will be paying for this action for decades.

13 ( +19 / -6 )

I believe it’s called cleansing.

And also could be called 'demographic engineering' which empires like Russia have done throughout history, then long after they have moved those from their ethnic groups in claim they need to attack the country where they shifted their own people Justifying their attack saying 'Russian' people are living there and local people are mean to them. Russia is doing what other empires (eg. British, Ottoman, French, and Spanish among others have also done.

Russia covers a huge land area, there should be plenty o room for Russia to settle its own people within Russia's current, not mythical borders, but that might cost Putin and his oligarchs money they'd rather use to buy more palaces and luxury yachts for themselves and their families.

10 ( +13 / -3 )

Zichi..

Do you have a link for the video? How do you explain the many satellite photos of the city's destruction? A new satellite photo showing a new mass grave with more than 200 people?

Google Graham Philips,

-13 ( +3 / -16 )

Protected by a shield of civilians, as usual.

Actually, there are no civilians in the steel works.... Just Zelenskyys sad effort to gain support for the fighters abandoned.

-20 ( +6 / -26 )

This loser [ Putin ] has killed thousands of innocent people in Ukraine and now says he has successfully taken over a city after over one month. What kind of a President is this guy? Ignorant and a short bully type.

12 ( +18 / -6 )

Putin claims victory in Mariupol despite steel mill holdouts

Putin also claimed less than 30 days before he launched his massive invasion; "We intend and will strive to negotiate with our partners on the issues that we have raised in order to resolve them diplomatically,"

Putin is nothing but a KGB trained bald-faced liar...anything he says, just believe the opposite...

Unless he's praising his BFF Trump - you can take that to the bank...

15 ( +20 / -5 )

Even Russia will win this war on military side, Russia is at its End!

It would be nice to think Russia's military Crusades fought for their Lord Putin and his state's (race's ) religion to re-claim what they say is their mythical territory is at an end, but as long as the fossil economy exists, Russia will maintain its value as another gas station for the globe's fossil powers to use to fill up and top off their fuel tanks. And the global powers will continue their wars for ever more territory and the resources, especially fossil fuels found in those territories. Empires leave sovereign states alone. Find ways to generate electricity and power vehicles using resources found within your own borders, and focus more on conservation and finding ways to pollute less, both of which which would include burning much lower amounts of fossil fuels.

4 ( +10 / -6 )

May 9th is still a few weeks away, yet Putin's already announcing "victory", a premature ejaculation, methinks.

16 ( +21 / -5 )

Zichi......

98% of the city destroyed is no victory.

Not even 50% of the steel works is destroyed. Mariupol is a big city, most of it has seen no fighting in this conflict. I watched video of a reported in the city yesterday, life was going on "fairly normally" in places but 3 km away a wasteland.

-23 ( +6 / -29 )

Cricky...

 Then relocate poor workers from Russia there, and you have a steel factory.I believe it’s called cleansing.

The people of Mariupol voted overwhelmingly in 2014 to join the Republic of Donetsk. Its a very Russian town. Though it looks like the factory will need more than a touch of paint to restart production.

-20 ( +5 / -25 )

I have more respect for Putin. He offered safe passage for these neo-Nazi nationalists and foreign mercenaries, but Zeninsky ordered them to stay and die. Russian general said he will send troops into the tunnels, but Putin stopped him. He really cares about the lives of his soldiers.

this Donbass port city will be important for the future recovery of Donbass.

-33 ( +8 / -41 )

Cricky ,that mill is totally fine destroyed,they may find a few machine intact

-7 ( +2 / -9 )

The Russian military playbook hasn’t changed in 70-80 years. They want the steel works intact that’s all. Might take a week or two but that’s the goal. Then relocate poor workers from Russia there, and you have a steel factory.I believe it’s called cleansing.

19 ( +21 / -2 )

Putin’s comments came as satellite images showed more than 200 new graves in a town where Ukrainian officials say the Russians have been burying Mariupol residents killed in the fighting. The imagery, from Maxar Technologies, shows long rows of graves stretching away from an existing cemetery in the town of Manhush, outside Mariupol.

Reminiscent of Poland 1939 and 1945, Bolshevik liquidation.

15 ( +18 / -3 )

Who cares if they have the victory on military side.

Russia, Putin and all his mass murdering, killing innocent men, woman and children, raping young women, torture innocent people...insane Mob and all his followers and every single idiot who defends what the Russians are doing in the Ukraine, lost already on all other sides all over the world.

Putin and his mass murdering Mob and all his followers and all the defenders of his actions did not only destroy Mariupol, they also destroyed their own country and each positive image the world had about Russia before they start this war and before they start to extinguish a complete nation.

And Russia will feel that for next hundred years.

Even Russia will win this war on military side, Russia is at its End!

23 ( +31 / -8 )

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