On 23 March, Ukrainian partisans set a Russian military base in occupied Mariupol on fire, destroying several vehicles, says Head of the Center for the Study of the Occupation Petro Andriushchenko.
Mariupol, a strategic Ukrainian port city on the Sea of Azov, fell to Russian forces in 2022 after a devastating siege. The city’s strategic importance lies in its position as a key industrial center and its role in potentially creating a land bridge between Russia and annexed Crimea. The city’s infrastructure was largely destroyed during the siege, with estimates suggesting that up to 90% of residential buildings were damaged or destroyed.
The operation, carried out by the Mariupol Resistance group, targeted a Russian parking base on the city’s Right Bank. As a result, multiple vehicles and Russian ammunition were destroyed.
Partisans reportedly discovered the base’s location through photos and details posted online by two pro-Russian bloggers, which revealed security vulnerabilities.
This intelligence proved crucial in planning the operation, which resulted in significant losses for Russian forces.
In February, resistance movement members detonated a car bomb targeting a Russian federal security officer in Mariupol.
They also informed that, after the attack, the Russian FSB drastically increased pressure and carried out extensive search operations. However, they assured that their people were already safe.
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