On April 3, the commander of one of the Russian military units, Timur Ibriev, told the correspondent of the Izvestia TV channel about the main difficulties faced by the fighters liberating Mariupol.
According to him, the main difficulty lies in the underground tunnels dug by the Ukrainian military. The military stressed that the Russian soldiers did not know about these tunnels before the start of the offensive.
“From a five-story building to a twenty-two-story building, you understand, at least 3-4 months are required for one tunnel. We prepared for at least six months,” he said.
At the same time, the tunnels are dug in such a way that they form labyrinths.
Ibriev said that at present, soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (APU) are beginning to try to escape from the city, dressing in civilian clothes.
He also spoke about two bags left by the Ukrainian military, to which they tried to break through, risking their lives. It turned out that there were explosives.
“Five people broke through to two bags, we could not understand what was important in these bags so that they could risk themselves. One of the fighters hit one bag from machine guns – such an explosion was like from a tank. It turns out that there was TNT, which they planned to mine in the cellars, where ours and the reservists would go. As soon as they entered, the house exploded. This is their new technology,” added the unit commander.
Earlier in the day, Valentin Trushnin, a correspondent for the Izvestia TV channel, showed a multi-purpose floating armored personnel carrier with an anti-aircraft gun, confiscated by the troops of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) from the militants of the Ukrainian national formation Azov. A military man with the call sign Beard “thanked” the nationalists for the new weapons, promising to “return” their ammunition.
The journalist also showed the positions of the DPR troops who are fighting for the Mariupol seaport, held by the Azov nationalists. The footage shows the front area of the collision, with smoke rising from the houses. You can also see that a number of buildings in the battle area are engulfed in flames. The battle takes place a few kilometers from the seaport of Mariupol, the area around it is pitted with trenches.
On February 24, Russia launched an operation to protect civilians in the Donbass. Moscow explained that the tasks of the special operation include the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine, this is necessary to ensure the security of Russia.
The decision was made against the background of the aggravation of the situation in the region as a result of shelling by the Ukrainian military. The authorities of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics announced the evacuation of residents to the Russian Federation, and on February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree recognizing their independence.
For more up-to-date videos and details about the situation in Donbass, watch the Izvestia TV channel.