Sviatoslav Palamar, deputy commander of the Azov Ukrainian Regiment, told the BBC that hundreds of civilians remained on the territory of the Azovstal plant, the last part of Mariupol occupied by Russian troops.

He also said that the defenders of Mariupol do not plan to surrender, but are ready to leave the city with their weapons, provided that the agreement is guaranteed by third countries.

Mariupol has been under blockade since the first days of March. Fierce battles have been going on here all this time.

According to the Ukrainian authorities, most of the buildings in the city were destroyed. City officials say about 20,000 civilians have died.

In an interview with the BBC, Svyatoslav Palamar talks about the fierce fighting for Azovstal, which took place in recent days.

He added that columns of military equipment and many infantry broke into the plant.

“They did not succeed. We destroyed three tanks, destroyed two MT-LB and one armored personnel carrier, as well as many enemy infantry. They failed to storm,” – said Palamar.

Soldiers of the Azov Regiment, along with a brigade of marines, border guards and police, are the last Ukrainian defenders to remain in the city.

The day before, Russian authorities said they had taken Mariupol under control. At the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the Minister of Defense to abandon the assault on Azovstal, so as not to risk the lives of the military. But “it is necessary to block the industrial zone in Azovstal so that the fly does not fly,” he added.

On Thursday evening, the Ukrainian General Staff said that, despite Putin’s statements, the fighting in Mariupol continues.

“In the Donetsk and Tavriya directions, the enemy tried to take full control of Mariupol. It continued to carry out air strikes and attempted assault operations near the seaport and the Azovstal plant,” the statement said.

Adviser to the Mayor of Mariupol Petro Andryushchenko also reported on the bombing and shelling of the Azovstal territory.

The Russian Ministry of Defense did not comment on the situation in Mariupol on Thursday evening.

Svyatoslav Palamar said that the Russians fired at the metallurgical plant from warships and dropped heavy bombs on it.

“All the buildings on Azovstal are practically destroyed. They are dropping heavy bombs, bunker bombs that are causing huge damage. We have wounded and dead inside the bunkers. Some civilians remain trapped under the rubble,” said Captain Palamar.

There is no exact information on the number of civilians on the territory of the plant. Earlier, the mayor of Mariupol Vadym Boychenko said that there could be from 300 to 1,000 civilians.

Palamar told the BBC that even the military defending Azovstal did not know how many people were there, as “there are completely destroyed premises” where they could not reach due to constant shelling.

According to a representative of the Azov Regiment, these people are in the basement, in each of which “from 80 to 100 people.”

“There are small children, there are three-month-old children, there are 14-year-olds. There are 17 children and about 80 civilians in one of the bunkers. These are women, these are elderly people. These are men who also failed to leave,” says Palamar. it is estimated that there are hundreds of civilians. But everything we can do for them, we do. ”

According to the deputy commander of Azov, civilians live separately from the military so as not to endanger them.

“These people have already gone through a lot because of war crimes. They do not trust the Russians,” he said, adding that civilians feared torture or murder or deportation to Russia through so-called filtration camps.

Palamar also refutes the claim that Azov is allegedly covered by civilians as a human shield.

Ukraine has consistently demanded the organization of a humanitarian corridor for the evacuation of civilians and the wounded from Azovstal and the whole of Mariupol.

On April 20, only four civilian buses were removed from the city.

According to Palamar, international mediators could help get out of the besieged Azovstal not only civilians but also defenders of the city. He says there are more than 500 seriously wounded soldiers among them.

The wounded need serious operations, such as amputations, he added.

“We preserve the unburied bodies of our soldiers, who must be buried with dignity in the territory controlled by Ukraine,” Palamar said.

The Ukrainian military is not going to accept Russia’s offer of captivity in exchange for saving lives.

“We have repeatedly stated that we will not surrender,” said one of the Azov commanders. “We will fight. We are only considering leaving Mariupol and going to safety with our weapons.”

When asked how many Ukrainian defenders remained in Mariupol, Captain Palamar answered simply – “enough to repel the attacks.”

“I always say in my appeals that while we are here, Mariupol is Ukraine. Mariupol is always Ukraine, no matter what anyone says,” said the deputy commander of Azov.

“The struggle continues. We are on the territory of Mariupol,” he added.

Azovstal Metallurgical Plant is a metallurgical giant with almost 100 years of history and occupies a huge area on the left bank of the Kalmius River. The territory of the plant is sandwiched between the river on the one hand and the shores of the Sea of Azov on the other.

The plant has its own cargo port and an extensive system of underground communications.

The total area of the plant is about 11 square kilometers.

The shelling of the plant began in March.

Its territory was chosen for hiding by the Ukrainian military and hundreds of civilians, because Azovstal has a system of bomb shelters set up in Soviet times.

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