Ukraine could win the war – Nato chief

Posted at 5:365:36

Wives of Azovstal defenders say food and water running out

Press service of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine/ReutersCopyright: Press service of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine/Reuters

Servicemen trapped in the steelworks play chessImage caption: Servicemen trapped in the steelworks play chess

Ukrainian servicemen trapped in the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol have very little food and drinking water left, the Ukrainian news agency Unian reports, citing the wives of the defenders.

They were speaking at a news conference, a video of which is available on YouTube.

“I spoke with my husband yesterday. He said that the bombing continues unabated, and that they almost never go to the surface,” says Yuliya, the wife of serviceman Arseniy Fedosyuk.

“And when they do go outside, they try to find water and food.

“They are quite pessimistic. They are preparing for the final battle because they do not believe in a diplomatic solution to this issue.

“Most of the time they stay in the bunker because there is constant bombardment. These are three-tonne bombs, incessant air strikes, naval and ground artillery, as well as tanks. They may stay underground for many as three days in a row,” Yuliya said.

According to the soldiers’ wives, there is very little water at Azovstal and their husbands have to drink service water previously used for the plant’s operation.

“We had a call a few hours ago. I was struck by the news that they [Russians] are dropping phosphorous bombs on Azovstal,” says Kateryna, the wife of Azov regiment commander Denys Prokopenko.