Russian forces appear close to taking Mariupol.

Russian forces on Friday appeared close to capturing the strategic Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, military analysts said, an achievement that would culminate one of the bloodiest battles of the six-week war.

Despite being vastly outnumbered, Ukrainian forces in the city have withstood weeks of Russian bombardments from the land, air and sea, and continued to stage counterattacks. But now, the last of the Ukrainian forces have been largely isolated in two main locations: in the city’s port and at a nearby steel factory.

Petro Andryushenko, an adviser to Mariupol’s mayor, denied Russian reports of a mass Ukrainian surrender in the city but acknowledged that the Russians had taken some of the remaining forces prisoner. Read more

@nytimes