Live news: Putin claims victory in Mariupol, defenders stay holed up
Live news updates: Ukraine says Putin attempting to avoid a final clash with its forces in the city
Topics Boris Johnson | Narendra Modi | Nirmala Sitharaman
BS Web Team | New Delhi
Last Updated at April 21, 2022 19:06 IST
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
Civilians walk past a tank destroyed during heavy fighting in an area controlled by Russian-backed separatist forces in Mariupol, Ukraine, on April 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Alexei Alexandrov)
Live news updates: President Vladimir Putin claimed victory in the biggest battle of the Ukraine war on Thursday, declaring the port of Mariupol "liberated" after nearly two months of siege, despite leaving hundreds of defenders still holed up inside a giant steel works.
Ukraine said Putin's attempt to avoid a final clash with its forces in the city was an acknowledgment that he lacked the forces to defeat them, Reuters reported.
"You successfully completed the combat effort to liberate Mariupol. Let me congratulate you on this occasion, and please convey my congratulations to the troops," Putin told Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in a televised meeting at the Kremlin.
CATCH ALL THE LIVE UPDATES
Auto Refresh