Maj. Serhiy Volyna said there were about 500 wounded troops and many civilians with them at the Azovstal steel plant, which has become the last stand for Ukrainians in the port city. The commander of the last remaining Ukrainian troops holding the besieged city of Mariupol has said that his forces are outnumbered and may only have hours to live. Maj. Serhiy Volyna said there were about 500 wounded troops and many civilians with them at the Azovstal steel plant, which has become the last stand for Ukrainians in the port city against Russia’s advance. His 36th Marine Brigade is holed up in the plant along with fighters from the country’s Azov Regiment, a far-right volunteer force that is widely considered one of the country’s most capable units. In a video shared with NBC News and other media outlets that was also posted to what appeared to be his own Facebook page Wednesday, Volyna outlined the desperate situation facing the fighters and asked foreign leaders for help getting them to safety. “We are probably facing our last days, if not hours,” he said.
via nbcnews: ‘Facing our last days’: Mariupol commander pleads for help as Russian forces close in