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The '''Battle of Mariupol''' was a key engagement in the 2022 [[Russia-Ukraine war]].  Sam Garrens has called the Battle of Mariupol, "the last battle of the [[Second World War]]."<ref>https://youtu.be/j5SbDFq-Lr8</ref>

The '''Battle of Mariupol''' was a key engagement in the 2022 [[Russia-Ukraine war]].  Sam Garrens has called the Battle of Mariupol, "the last battle of the [[Second World War]]."<ref>https://youtu.be/j5SbDFq-Lr8</ref>

Mariupol on the [[Sea of Azov]] is predominantly a Russian city.  After the [[Maidan coup]] in 2014, many Ukrainian nationalist from western [[Ukraine]] and the Kharkiv region were relocated to Mariupol by the Ukrainian Ministry of the Interior's National Guard and terrorized the local, predominantly Russian, population. Mariupol became the hot bed of neo-Nazi activity from 2014 to 2022 and the site of some of the most intense fighting during the Russian special [[denazification]] operation.   

Mariupol on the [[Sea of Azov]] is predominantly a Russian city.  After the [[Maidan coup]] in 2014, many Ukrainian nationalist, elements of the [[Pravy Sektor]] from the [[Kharkov]] region western [[Ukraine]] were deployed to Mariupol by the Ukrainian Ministry of the Interior's National Guard and terrorized the local, predominantly Russian, population. The soldiers of the new Maidan coup regime murder police who refused to participate in the take over and fire on unarmed civilians.<ref>[[Graham Phillips]], [https://rumble.com/v4na3aw-more-than-20-days-in-mariupol.html More Than 20 Days in Mariupol], April 3, 2024. [[Rumble]]</ref> Mariupol became the hot bed of neo-Nazi activity from 2014 to 2022 and the site of some of the most intense fighting during the Russian special [[denazification]] operation.   

The Russians attempted to establish humanitarian corridors for civilians with passages west toward Kyiv and Europe, or east toward Russia.  However, the first reaction by the SBU was to murder the chief Ukrainian negotiator just prior to completion on the details of the agreement with the Russians.  Eventually humanitarian corridors were set up, but Ukrainian forces killed many civilians attempting to evacuate.  Of those refugees who did get out, most chose to go to Russia.  Red Cross relief convoys were held up by Ukrainians outside the city. Zelensky ordered Ukrainian forces in the city not to surrender, and to fight to the last Ukrainian.  The neo-Nazis had desecrated memorials to the heroes of the [[Great Patriotic War]].<ref>https://youtu.be/IZAcE-clNOE</ref>

During the 2022 [[denazification operation]] the Russians attempted to establish humanitarian corridors for civilians with passages west toward Kyiv and Europe, or east toward Russia.  However, the first reaction by the SBU was to murder the chief Ukrainian negotiator just prior to completion on the details of the agreement with the Russians.  Eventually humanitarian corridors were set up, but Ukrainian forces killed many civilians attempting to evacuate.  Of those refugees who did get out, most chose to go to Russia.  Red Cross relief convoys were held up by Ukrainians outside the city. Zelensky ordered Ukrainian forces in the city not to surrender, and to fight to the last Ukrainian.  The neo-Nazis had desecrated memorials to the heroes of the [[Great Patriotic War]].<ref>https://youtu.be/IZAcE-clNOE</ref>

The city's high rise apartment complexes, built of concrete and rebar in the Soviet era, were built with bomb shelters which residents lived in throughout the battle.  Azov forces took control of upper-level apartments to use as firing points on Russian and DNR forces.  On March 1, 2022, ''Greek City Times'' reported: "With Russian forces besieging Mariupol, in which 120,000+ ethnic [[Greek]]s live, SKAI news spoke with a Mr Kiouranas who lives in the city and exposed that Ukrainian “fascists” are killing people for trying to leave the city.  When asked by SKAI news if he planned to leave the city, Kiouranas responded “how can I leave? When you try to leave you run the risk of running into a patrol of the Ukrainian fascists, the [[Azov Battalion]].  They would kill me and are responsible for everything.”<ref>https://greekcitytimes.com/2022/03/01/greek-in-mariupol-fascist-ukrainian/</ref>  

The city's high rise apartment complexes, built of concrete and rebar in the Soviet era, were built with bomb shelters which residents lived in throughout the battle.  Azov forces took control of upper-level apartments to use as firing points on Russian and DNR forces.  On March 1, 2022, ''Greek City Times'' reported: "With Russian forces besieging Mariupol, in which 120,000+ ethnic [[Greek]]s live, SKAI news spoke with a Mr Kiouranas who lives in the city and exposed that Ukrainian “fascists” are killing people for trying to leave the city.  When asked by SKAI news if he planned to leave the city, Kiouranas responded “how can I leave? When you try to leave you run the risk of running into a patrol of the Ukrainian fascists, the [[Azov Battalion]].  They would kill me and are responsible for everything.”<ref>https://greekcitytimes.com/2022/03/01/greek-in-mariupol-fascist-ukrainian/</ref>