City Battle Breaks Out In Ukrainian Mariupol, Russia Deploys First Long-range Bomber

Mariupol County, Ukraine. (Wikimedia Commons / MVS.gov.ua / Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine)

JAKARTA - Ukrainian authorities said that for the first time Russia had deployed long-range bombers to attack the city of Mariupol when fighting broke out there.

Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said on Friday, the first time since the start of the invasion on February 24, that Russia used long-range bombers to attack the besieged port city of Mariupol.

According to Motuzyanyk, Russia is concentrating its efforts on capturing the cities of Rubizhne, Popasna and Mariupol.

Motuzyanyk further explained that his party was trying to break the Russian siege on Mariupol and fighting was raging around Illich Steel and Iron Works, as well as the port in the southern city.

"The situation in Mariupol is difficult and difficult. The fighting is going on right now. The Russian army is constantly calling in additional units to storm the city," Motuzyanyk said.

"But until now Russia has not managed to completely occupy it," Motuzyanyk continued in a televised briefing.

He said the loss of Russia's main warship in the Black Sea, Moscow, had a significant impact. But he said he was not authorized to provide information about a factory near the capital Kyiv, which the Russian Defense Ministry said was hit with a missile overnight.

Meanwhile, Russia said on Friday it had taken full control of the Illich Mariupol Steel and Iron Plant, promising more strikes against targets in Kyiv.

Moscow has dubbed its actions in Ukraine a "special operation" to destroy Ukraine's military capabilities, rooting out what it views as dangerous nationalists. Meanwhile, Ukraine and the West say Russia is waging a war of unwarranted aggression.