Most Russian Troops Have Left Mariupol, U.S. Believes

Topline

Most of the Russian force assigned to take over Mariupol has left the Ukrainian port city, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters in a briefing Wednesday, as Russia pushes to seize much of eastern Ukraine—and the final Ukrainian defenders in Mariupol face heavy fighting.

Key Facts

About 2,000 troops and some Chechen fighters are still in Mariupol, but 10 Russian battalion tactical groups—which usually contain up to 1,000 troops each—have moved northward, according to CNN, citing a senior U.S. official.

The official reportedly said some units that exited Mariupol appeared to pause to be refitted near Velyka Novosilka, a town roughly 60 miles northwest of the city and near the edge of Ukraine’s Donetsk region, which Russia is seeking to capture.

Key Background

Last month, Russia claimed its troops had taken over the city of Mariupol, following a brutal weeks-long siege of the southeastern Ukrainian city. Local officials say thousands of Mariupol residents have died, and the Associated Press reported Wednesday around 600 people were killed in an airstrike on a theater that civilians used as a shelter. The city is strategically important for the Russian military: It lies within eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region, which is a focus of Russia’s invasion, and its capture would cut off Ukraine from the Sea of Azov and form a land corridor between the Russian mainland and Russian-controlled Crimea.

What To Watch For

Many observers think Russian forces could shift from Mariupol to other parts of the Donbas region. However, the Institute for the Study of War think tank says many of these units were probably damaged in the fighting. About two weeks ago, the organization said Russian battalion tactical groups in Mariupol have likely taken many casualties, “are degraded, and are unlikely to possess their full complement of personnel.”