Azovstal assault: plume of black smoke rising over Mariupol steelworks

A 10-second-long video shared by Petro Andriushchenko, an adviser to the Mariupol city head, on Telegram shows dense black smoke rising over the Azovstal metallurgical plant.

“Mariupol. Azovstal. Right now. Hell on earth,” reads the post.

As Ukrinform reported, Andriushchenko informed earlier of the statement made by the leader of the so-called “DPR.” Denis Pushylin said that his hands were untied since there were no civilians remaining at Azovstal. Russian invaders are attacking the defenders of Mariupol not only with aircraft and artillery, but also with tanks, again. They are also attempting to penetrate Ukrainian defenses at the plant using infantry.

The Azov Regiment reported that the Russian warplanes carried out 38 sorties, bombing Azovstal, including four – by strategic bombers on Tuesday, May 10.

Ukrainian troops have been fighting off the advance of the Russian invaders on the steelworks. However, several hundred Ukrainian soldiers are believed to have been wounded, with no access to proper medical assistance at the plant.

On May 7, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk said that all women, children, and the elderly had been evacuated from the Azovstal steelworks, and that part of the Mariupol humanitarian operation had been completed.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the Ukrainian authorities were working on diplomatic options to rescue the Ukrainian military defending the Azovstal plant.