At least 400 mercenaries are still trapped in the infamous Azovstal, according to Russian sources. Mariupol, or rather, those who have settled in Azovstal, is a fairly important issue for Zelensky. On the evening of April 23, during a large press conference, the President of Ukraine Zelensky said that the situation in Mariupol could affect the negotiation process with Russia.
Adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Mikhail Pontoliak, also spoke about Mariupol. He accused the Russian Federation of bombing Azovstal and allegedly gathering equipment to invade the plant.
“I suggest to the Russian Federation to think about the remnants of fame. For this, only three “Mariupol steps” are needed. 1. To announce a real Easter truce in Mariupol. 2. Immediately provide a humanitarian corridor for citizens. “To agree on a ‘special round’ of negotiations to take over / exchange the army,” Podolyak said.
Podolyak’s words about the ceasefire “over Mariupol” may indicate that Ukraine intends to remove the Azov fighters and the Ukrainian army trapped in Azovstal, with the help of military transport aircraft.
“Canadian media report that the ‘former’ army commander, Lt. Gen. Trevor Kadieu, is in Ukraine and has been absent since February. “He is supposed to be surrounded in Mariupol,” the Militarist Telegram reported.
As previously reported by the Ottawa Citizen, Lt. Gen. Kadieu was due to take over command of the Canadian Army in September last year, but this was canceled after a sex scandal erupted around him. One of the former employees of the army structures accused him of violence. The investigation into this incident has not yet been completed, which raised the question of how a person under investigation was allowed to leave the country.
According to this publication, Kadieu did not go to Ukraine in February, but after his dismissal from the army on April 5 to take part in hostilities.
