Brave Ukrainians reject Putin’s call for ceasefire despite mounting attacks – World News

Exclusive:

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ruled out giving in to tyrant Vladimir Putin’s calls for a ceasefire, despite an intensified attack on the eastern Donbass region

Brave Ukrainians reject a truce with Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin – footage showed a hero of Mariupol tattooed with Spartan slogans of defiance.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ruled out agreeing to a deal that goes hand in hand
over land after Putin amid increased
Offensive in eastern Donbass.

It came after Ukraine’s leader confirmed that the Azovstal Steel Plant in the strategic port of Mariupol is now under Russian control.

A video made available to the Daily Mirror shows troops surrendering there, being stripped and inspected by Russian soldiers looking for tattoos that could help their propaganda that Ukrainians have far-right followings.

A Ukrainian lieutenant – who operates under the call sign Chemist – shows words tattooed on his knuckles which translate to “Kill them all.”

When Russian troops ask what it means, he calmly replies, “Those are the words of King Leonidas.”

The story of King Leonidas of Sparta, told in the film 300, starring Gerard Butler, bears some resemblance to the valiant resistance of the Azovstal heroes against Russian invaders.

The king, knowing he was being outflanked by King Xerxes’ massive invading Persian forces, dismissed most of his troops, taking only 300 with him in a bloody rearguard action at Thermopylae.

The chemist was among Ukrainian militants who held the Azovstal plant under siege for over 80 days from Russian invaders, who have now won their month-long battle for the port city.

President Zelensky said the site’s last remaining defenders were given permission to leave the site.

He told a Ukrainian TV channel: “The boys have received a clear signal from the military command that they can come out and save their lives.”

A source said: “The Azovstal plant is now fully under Russian control, but the Ukrainian resistance has been nothing short of heroic.”

Moscow officials claim 2,439 Ukrainian militants surrendered from the steel plant in recent days.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said Azov commander Denis Prokopenko faces a criminal case in Russia.

He surrendered and was taken from the plant in an armored vehicle to avoid “Nazi lynching by civilians,” Russia claimed.

Senior Russian politician Leonid Slutsky said Moscow will try to exchange some of the prisoners being held there for pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, who was arrested in Kyiv last month.

It came as Putin stepped up the offensive in the eastern Donbass region and cut off gas supplies to Finland.

President Zelenskyy said: “The situation in Donbass is extremely difficult.”

Yesterday Russia attacked Ukrainian forces in the east and south.

Major General Konashenkov said rockets hit three command posts and 13 areas where troops and military equipment were amassing, as well as four ammunition depots in the Donbass region.

In the southern region of Mykolayiv, missiles hit a mobile anti-drone system near the village of Hanivka, he said.

• Hollywood star Morgan Freeman and the late Senator John McCain are on a new Kremlin list of 963 Americans banned from entering Russia. Freeman appeared in a video accusing Russia of interfering in the 2016 US election. McCain is one of three dead senators on the list.