Greek City Times
March 25, 2022
The battle for the Greek-founded port city of Mariupol has become a major focal point of the war, with as many as 15,000 Ukrainian troops and National Guard fighters, including the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion, battling against the Russian military and Donetsk separatists.
Up to 150,000 civilians also remain trapped in areas controlled by Ukrainian forces and as much as 80% of the city has been destroyed by Russian bombardments.
“Well, for one thing, they are hiding behind civilians. And secondly, as we evacuate civilians, they try to escape disguised as civilians, to our side here, to blend in somewhere and get away,” Donetsk People’s Militia battalion commander Oleg Kokarev said.