MoD: Ukraine would have lost access to Black Sea if Mariupol not defended

"In essence, Mariupol saved the entire south of Ukraine. If Mariupol had not been defended, if they [Russians] had not been forced to redeploy [troops] to prevent us from conducting a counteroffensive operation, there would be now neither Mykolaiv nor Odesa, they would have gone to Transnistria, united with that group, and Ukraine would have been cut off from the Black Sea completely," First Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksandr Pavliuk said during the United News national telethon.

He also noted that the eastern group of the defense forces has caught all the combat-ready forces of the enemy, "crushed" its potential, and is still holding it in the east.

Mariupol has experienced one of the biggest humanitarian disasters caused by Russia's aggression. The city is almost 90% destroyed as a result of enemy shelling, there is still no normal electricity, water, or gas supply. In addition, the invaders demolish the houses they damaged to hide the traces of their crimes.