Defenders In Ukrainian Steel Mill Refuse To Surrender

May 6, 2022 4:15 am

LVIV, Ukraine (AP) – Ukrainian fighters battling Russian forces in the tunnels beneath Mariupol’s immense steel plant are refusing to surrender in the face of relentless attacks. The wife of one commander says they vowed to “stand till the end.” The battle is unfolding in the last Ukrainian stronghold of the strategic port city that has been reduced to ruins. It appeared increasingly desperate after an Ukrainian official said Russian soldiers managed to get inside the tunnels with the help of an Ukrainian electrician who knew the layout. The fighting came amid growing suspicions that President Vladimir Putin wants to present the Russian people with a major battlefield success in time for Victory Day on Monday, which marks the Soviet Union’s triumph over Nazi Germany.