Moscow: The war between Russia and Ukraine has now reached its second month and Putin wants to convert it into victory as soon as possible. Analysts say that Russia’s capture of Mariupol is like a victory in Ukraine’s war. According to experts, the capture of Ukraine’s port city of Mariupol on the coast of the Azov Sea will provide Russia with a land route from its controlled Crimea to the self-styled Donetsk Republic. Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized Donetsk and Luhansk republics as independent territories just before the attack on Ukraine. In such a situation, Putin is very happy with the capture of Mariupol. Let us understand why victory over Mariupol is important for Russia…
From the beginning of the war, Russia’s entire focus was to capture Mariupol. Named after the 18th-century Russian king Maria Feodorovna, the city of Mariupol was under the control of the Azov governor during the period of imperial rule in Russia. During the Second World War, Mariupol was captured by Hitler-led German forces, which lasted for about two years. During this, the Nazi army started a campaign to exterminate the Jews with the help of local people. After this, the city of Mariupol was liberated by the Russian Red Army and named Zhdanov after Soviet leftist leader Andrei Zhdanov.
In 1989, two years before the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was once again renamed Mariupol. General Sir Richard Barron, a former British army commander, told the BBC that the capture of Mariupol was very important to Russia’s war effort. The Russians would see a land route from Mariupol to the end of the war as a major strategic success.
Russia also occupied 80 percent of the Black Sea area
With the capture of Mariupol, Russia has now occupied 80 percent of the territory of the Black Sea coast of Ukraine. This will not only cut Ukraine off from sea trade but will also isolate it from the world. Russia has caused so much devastation on Mariupol with guns, rockets, and missiles that about 90 percent of the city has been destroyed.
That’s why Putin called the occupation ‘liberation’
Mariupol Coast is a deep seaport. From here Ukraine used to export steel, coal, and maize to the Gulf countries. After the capture of Mariupol, Putin will now be able to show it to his people as a victory, because a part of the Russian public is also opposing the Ukraine war. That’s why Putin named it ‘liberation’.
20 thousand people died in Mariupol
Ukrainian officials claim that 20,000 people have died on the streets in Mariupol’s bombing by Russian forces. This includes women, children, and the elderly. These corpses have now disappeared. Ukraine estimates that 100,000 people still remain in Mariupol.
Mass graves found in Manhush
Mariupol Mayor Vadyam Boychenko alleged that the Russian army was “disgustingly” hiding the crimes of its army. Petro, an adviser to the mayor, said after a long search it was found that the Russian army had buried the bodies of those killed in Mariupol in Manhush.
Petro said the Russian military had excavated several mass graves in Manhush, which are about 100 feet long. The town is a town 19 km west of Mariupol. He said that the trucks took the dead bodies and dumped them directly in the graves. “This is clear evidence of war crimes and an attempt to hide it,” Petro said. Russian soldiers took the corpses from Mariupol to the detriment. Our review has revealed that the expansion of these graves took place between 23 and 26 March. Even after that, the process of its expansion continued.
After Mariupol, now Russia’s eyes are on the cities of Kyiv, Lviv, and Bucha, the capital of Ukraine. The Russian army has moved here.
