«We ask you for salvation»: May 16 — 3 years since the appeal of a Jewish Azov fighter to the Israeli government: «On the ruins of the Azovstal plant, there are Jews like you and me»
The defense of Azovstal lasted from March 18 to May 16, 2022, on the territory of the Mariupol Metallurgical Plant "Azovstal". It took place as part of the battle for Mariupol during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russian forces besieged the plant for a long time, and on May 16, 2022, the Ukrainian garrison surrendered by order of the country's top leadership.
In March and April, the world learned about the civilians and soldiers trapped at Azovstal. While the evacuation of Mariupol civilians was successful, Ukraine was unable to liberate the military by force, and Russia refused any proposals except surrender. The soldiers had no choice but to continue fighting and hold their positions until the end.
The defenders of Mariupol held back 20,000 Russian troops, destroyed around 6,000 of them, approximately 78 tanks, and more than 100 armored vehicles. They helped the Ukrainian Armed Forces better prepare the defense of Donbas by delaying significant Russian forces for nearly three months.
As of early May, there were no civilians left at Azovstal.
On the evening of May 16, the commander of the Azov Regiment, Denys Prokopenko, delivered a statement:
"The defenders of Mariupol…
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