Defenders of Mariupol change course of war – Presidential Office

The defenders of Mariupol have changed the course of the war with the russian occupiers, having taken one of the main blows of the aggressor upon themselves. Adviser to the Head of the Office of the President Mykhailo Podolyak stated this on the air of the UA telethon on May 17.

"The Ukrainian military in Mariupol pulled over a significant enemy force and, thereby, helped the defense in other directions", - Podolyak noted.

The adviser to the head of the Presidential Office also stressed that during the defense of Mariupol, Ukrainians in other areas were able to build an effective defense.

As previously reported, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the start of an operation to rescue the defenders of Azovstal.