DEFENSE OF MARIUPOL (FEBRUARY 24 – MAY 20, 2022)

The defense of Mariupol between February 24 and May 20, 2022, is one of the most tragic pages of the Russian-Ukrainian war. More than 450,000 civilians and the Ukrainian Defense Forces were completely surrounded. The city's residents were deprived of basic needs such as food, water, heat, and safe living conditions, resulting in an unspecified number of casualties, as the death toll is at least 20,000. The Mariupol garrison, having shown courage and heroism, was forced to surrender. Therefore, the purpose of the article is to analyze the battle for Mariupol, with an analysis of the overall development of events, taking into account military, social and international factors. Thus, the authors managed to find out that the city was not ready for defense; its preparation was already underway in the context of the battles for Mariupol. The key events that influenced the city's encirclement were the unimpeded passage of Russian troops from the Crimea, as well as the breakthrough of the front line in the Volnovakha direction. The city's defenders divided it into four defense sectors, doing their best to contain the enemy. However, the enemy had a huge advantage in manpower, weapons and military equipment and therefore gradually narrowed the defense ring. When capturing the city, the Russians destroyed it methodically, square by square, subjecting civilian objects and civilians to artillery and rocket and bomb attacks. Such methods of capturing the city led to analogies with the Syrian city of Aleppo, which was similarly destroyed by the Russians. Mariupol has become a ghost town, with its population experiencing real horrors. And for the Ukrainian Defense Forces, the battle for Mariupol has become a symbol of victory, endurance, and loyalty.