The Kremlin proclaimed victory in the battle for Mariupol. It is quite possible that Russian forces will try to starve the remaining Ukrainian military at the Azovstal plant.. After all, trying to destroy them will cost too much.

This is stated in the analysis of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). Despite the fact that Ukrainian soldiers are still defending at the Azovstal plant, Vladimir Putin and Sergei Shoigu declared " At the same time, the Russian autocrat ordered his defense minister to stop attacks against Ukrainian forces at the plant in order to cut Russian losses.. ISW analysts are convinced that despite complete control, the Kremlin will try to present control of most of Mariupol as a victory to compensate for the failed Russian offensive in other directions..

At the same time, the reduction in the pace of operations in Mariupol is unlikely to allow the transfer of significant combat forces to support other offensive operations in the coming days and weeks.. ISW Analysts Point to U.S. Officials Claiming Russia Has Still Not Withdrawn Dozens of Battalion Task Forces from Mariupol Despite Claimed Victory. But so far nothing is known either about the status of these Russian forces, or about limiting their use.. Russian battalion tactical groups suffered heavy losses during the battle for the southern Ukrainian city. They have degraded and are unlikely to have full personnel..

“As for Russian operations in other parts of Ukraine, reporting the number of battalion tactical groups without additional context and analysis of their combat strength does not help in assessing Russian forces.. Not all of the reported 12 battalion tactical groups participated in the battles at Azovstal. But it will still take some time for the units involved in the latest attacks to be able to leave and redeploy to other places, ”the report says..

Experts note that some of these Russian forces will be needed for other missions, including maintaining the siege of Azovstal, as well as control over other areas of Mariupol to prevent the actions of the remnants of Ukrainian troops and partisans.. Also, these Russian forces will have to be deployed elsewhere so that Russia can maintain control over the southern regions of Ukraine..

“The Russian army will definitely be able to redeploy some detachments from Mariupol to participate in offensive operations in other places.. But Ukrainian troops managed to tie up and exhaust significant Russian forces.. And the victory proclaimed by the Kremlin did not necessarily free up a combat force of 12 battalion tactical groups for other operations,” ISW notes..

Recall, on April 16, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the destruction of Ukrainian defenders in Mariupol would put an end to negotiations with the Russian Federation..

At the same time, he said that the situation in the city could be "

Earlier it was reported that the Russian occupiers evacuated almost 140 thousand people from Mariupol. The aggressor deliberately blocks the humanitarian corridors proposed by Ukraine: does not confirm the regime of silence, shoots or does not allow transport, does not allow food, water and medicine to be delivered to the city. And what the Russian Federation claims as evacuation is actually forced deportation and abduction of Ukrainians.