‘Mariupol garrison has fulfilled its combat mission’: All you need to know

In a recent statement, Ukrainian soldiers declared they had completed their “combat mission” in the beleaguered city of Mariupol.

“The ‘Mariupol’ garrison has fulfilled its combat mission,” a statement issued by the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces read. “The Supreme Military Command ordered the commanders of the units stationed at Azovstal to save the lives of their personnel.”

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“The defenders of Mariupol are heroes of our time. They will forever be marked down in history. This includes the special ‘Azov’ unit, the 12th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, the 36th Separate Brigade of Marines, border guards, police, volunteers, the Territorial Defense of Mariupol,” the statement added.

It continued by saying, “By concentrating the main forces of the enemy around Mariupol, we had the opportunity to prepare and create defensive lines, where our troops stand ready today to repel the aggressor. It provided us critical time to form reserves, regroup forces, and receive assistance from partners.”

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“The most important common task of all Ukraine and the whole world is to save the lives of the defenders of Mariupol. We will fight for you on all fronts as faithfully as you defend the state! #stoprussia,” the statement concluded.

Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar stated in a previous video that several defenders remain at the Azovstal steel complex.

According to  Malyar, more than 260 people have been rescued from the besieged Azovstal factory, including 53 badly injured.

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Malyar stated in a video statement released late Monday that the Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, and the Border Guard Service had joined forces to rescue Mariupol defenders who had become trapped on the Azovstal plant’s property.

“53 seriously injured people were evacuated from Azovstal to a medical facility in Novoazovsk [in territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic] for medical care,” she stated. “Another 211 people were taken to Olenivka through the humanitarian corridor. An exchange procedure will be carried out to return them home.”

Olenivka is a town near Donetsk that is on the front lines of the present conflict but is in Russian control.