Russian troops in Mariupol using same tactics as in Chechnya, Syria - UK Ministry of Defense

Shelling populated areas within Mariupol, Russian troops are using the same tactics that were previously used in Chechnya and Syria.

According to Ukrinform, the UK Ministry of Defense said this on Twitter.

"The targeting of populated areas within Mariupol aligns with Russia's approach to Chechnya in 1999 and Syria in 2016. This is despite the 24 February 2022 claims of Russia's Defense Ministry that Russia would neither strike cities nor threaten the Ukrainian population," the ministry said.

The ministry added that concerted Ukrainian resistance has severely tested Russian forces and diverted men and materiel, slowing Russia's advance elsewhere.

"Russia's effort to capture Mariupol has come at significant cost to its residents. Large areas of infrastructure have been destroyed whilst the population has suffered significant casualties," the statement said.

On April 17, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video message that Russian invaders, who are preparing to launch an offensive in eastern Ukraine, want to wipe out the city and communities of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Photo: Evgeniy Maloletka