Mariupol: A Homecoming---Looking back at the origins of the battle

The Battle for Mariupol lasted 83 days. It is the primary combat of the special operation in Ukraine. Ukrainian army and nationalists from the Azov battalion tried to turn the city into a stronghold. Azov’s tactics of using civilians as human shields dramatically complicated the combat. They locked the exits from Mariupol, preventing people from evacuating through ‘green corridors’. That led to multiple civilian casualties. Russian soldiers had to take considerable risks to save the citizens of Mariupol.

‘In 2014, it was obvious that this benign tumour was turning into a malignant one. And in future, it can’t be cured by any means except surgery. The only question is that this cancer doesn’t grow into an inoperable fourth stage,’ this is how Aleksandr Khodakovskiy, founder and commander of the Donbass militia’s Vostok battalion described the nature of Maidan. He witnessed the beginning of drastic changes in Ukraine after the Maidan. He was one of the Donbass resistance chiefs and fought for eight years in the Donbass war. During the Battle for Mariupol, he and his comrades reclaimed street by street, overcoming the Azov nationalist battalion and the Ukrainian army in the city. His and other stories are included in the film.

Fair Warning

This documentary has scenes of civilians being killed in it and descriptions of civilians deaths. Parts of this documentary are of the Ukraine army moving into Mariupol in 2014 with violent attacks on unarmed citizens and law enforcement. In past comments by the citizens in other documentaries I've posted, many were forced into their basements or those of Schools, hospitals, etc for months on end, some the entire 8 years until the local militia and Russian troops of various republics came to liberate them. Torture and theft from homes was a common occurrence along with pillaging of food and water. Citizens were forbidden to leave, to venture out to find food and water opened them up to sniper fire. During the liberation Azov began firing on homes, schools, hospitals, anything in their path of retreat. Whether citizens were occupying or not. Which western medias falsely blame on Russia.

This isn't rocket science people. Local militias, some from within the Ukrainian army who came home from western Ukraine to defend their families and homeland, wouldn't join Russia to kill their own people and destroy the work they put into their communities for decades.

[rtd.rt.com]