Marioupol: Four Reasons Why This City Matters So Much to Russia

Marioupolis is the most heavily bombed and destroyed city in the Ukrainian war with Russia, suffering the worst of the ongoing Russian attacks. This town is key to Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine. But why?

You can read the following four reasons why taking control of this city-port would be a major strategic victory for Russia and a big blow for Ukraine.

Security of the Earth Hall Between Crime and Donbas

Geographically, the city of Marioupolis takes a small spot on the map, but it has now stubbornly taken its toll on the Russian forces, which have led this city from the Crimean Peninsula.

Russian forces are attacking the northeast, trying to establish a land link with their separatist allies in the Donbas region, the term used for the two regions: Luhansk and Donjecks é is located east of Ukraine.

When the Russians feel that they have successfully completed that battle, they will have completed the creation of a ground bridge from Russia to Crime and will see it as a major strategic success”, he said.

If Marioupolis were to fall under Moscow's control, Russia would have full control of more than 80 percent of Ukraine's Black Sea coastline by cutting off Kiev's sea trade and isolating it even more from the world.

Facing Russian forces over the past three weeks, Ukrainians have managed to distract a large number of Russian troops. But Russia's failure to take control of this city quickly has prompted Russian commanders to use a 21st century version of medieval siege tactics.

They have hit Marioupolis with artillery, rockets, damaging or destroying over 90 percent of the city. They have also cut off this city's access to electricity, heating, drinking water, food and medical supplies by creating a humanitarian disaster caused by the man for which Moscow now blames Ukraine for refusing to submit this city until 05 o'clock Monday. A Ukrainian MP has accused Russia of trying to get Marioupolis to starve to surrender”.

Ukraine has pledged to protect the city until the last soldier. And it can come to this scenario. Russian Troops Moving On Toward the City Center And in the absence of any kind of peace agreement, which would be applicable, Russia will likely intensify its bombings by making little or no distinction between armed soldiers and the besieged civilian population. Over 200,000 civilians are still trapped in this city.

If and when Russia takes full control of Marioupolis, it would lead Russia to release nearly 6,000 of its troops organised in 1,000-strong tactical battalions and send later to reinforce Russian fronts in other areas of Ukraine.

There are several possibilities where these bodies, currently attacking Marioupolis, could be decided:

• To the northeast to join the battle for the siege and destruction of the Ukrainian forces' regular troops that are fighting the pro- Kremlin separatists in the Donbas region
• West to advance to Odessa, which would be Ukraine's last largest Black Sea exit city
• northwest to Dnipro City

Ukraine's Economy Frozen

For a long time, Marioupolis has been an important and strategic port on the Azov Sea, which is part of the Black Sea.

With its deep beds, it is the largest port in the Azov Sea region and is home to a large iron and steel factory. In normal times, Marioupolis is the main center of Ukraine's steel, coal, and corn exports sent to consumers in the Middle East and beyond.

The loss of Marioupolis would be a major blow to what remains of Ukraine's economy.

The opportunity for propaganda

The Ukrainian military unit called the Azov Brigade, which has been named under the Azov Sea to connect Marioupolis with the rest of the Black Sea, is located in Marioupolis. The Azov Brigade is part of right-wing extremists, including neo-Nazis.

If Russia manages to catch up with a considerable number of the Azov Brigade fighters alive, they will likely appear in Russia-controlled media as part of the ongoing propaganda fight to discredit Ukraine and its government.

A Great Moral Push

Taking over Marioupolis from Russia, if it happens, would be of great psychological importance for both sides in the war.

A Russian victory in Mariupol would enable the Kremlin to show its population through state-controlled media ♫ that Russia was achieving its goals and was marking progress.

For Russian President Vladimir Putin, for whom this war seems to be personal, all this has historical significance. He sees Ukraine's Black Sea coastline as part of what is called Novorossiya (New Russia) Russian lands dating back to the 18th century empire.

For Ukrainians, however, the loss of Marioupolis would be a major blow, not only in military and economic terms, but also in the psychological aspect of men and women fighting in the field protecting their country. Marioupolis would be the first great city to fall into the hands of the Russians after Herson, a strategic but far less important city that is barely protected.

Here is another aspect - a grim warning to other cities.

Marioupolis has made a severe stand, but the cost has been high. The city has been destroyed and is currently entirely in ruins. This city will enter history along with Grozni and Alepon, which Russia bombarded and grenadeged to its knees, turning them into rubble. The message to other Ukrainian cities is grim: If you choose to resist as Marioupolis did, then you can expect to have the same destiny.

The “Russians couldn't access Mariupol”, said General Richard Barrons, the “that couldn't enter with their tanks, so they turned this city into rubble. And that's what we have to expect to happen in another country that matters to Russians”. / REL