ADDRESS Commander of the 36th Separate Rear Admiral Mykhailo Belinsky Marine Brigade Serhiy Volyna from the besieged Mariupol

I am Serhiy Volyna, Commander of the 36th Separate Rear Admiral Mykhailo Belinsky Marine Brigade. I am writing to you from the besieged city of Mariupol.

For more than 50 days, the city defenders have been heroically safeguarding themselves, despite the overwhelming enemy forces and constant bombardments by air missiles, artillery and rocket attacks. Mariupol is still a Ukrainian city, no matter what Russian propaganda presents you. We fight in fierce battles every day and hold back thousands of enemy troops preventing them from advancing. This is at the cost of superhuman efforts and great losses.

We desperately need your help. The enemy has closed in on the city and holds hundreds of thousands of civilians hostage. Some women hide with children, including infants, in our military bunkers without any heat, water or food supply. These are primarily our soldiers’ family members being chased down by Russians.

Our wounded people are dying in agony every day because we no longer have any medications, disinfection and anaesthesia.

Ukrainian authorities have held talks about humanitarian corridors with Russians, involving Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. However, Russians did not keep their promise to open the corridors and all efforts failed.

We beg the world to help evacuate the wounded, children, women and bodies of the dead.

Every effort should be made to do this. Not enough attempts were made to rescue the people!

We call on world politicians, public and religious figures to hear our voice and not be indifferent to people who have fallen into the trap in Mariupol against their will.

Now we, the military, are forced not only to fight the overwhelming forces of the enemy but also to take care of more than a thousand civilians.

Do not trust Russia’s promises to open the “humanitarian corridor” for the military. Undoubtedly, this is a hoax to destroy the Ukrainian military forces in Mariupol without even fighting.

We will not give up and will fight to the end.

Nevertheless, our loyalty to the oath was not enough to liberate Mariupol.

The city needs to be unblocked immediately.

To this end, we need heavy weapons. It is within the power and authority of the EU and the US to provide us with these necessary weapons.

Heavy weapons for Mariupol defenders will save the Ukrainian military forces.

Mariupol can be saved. We are ready to fight to the last drop of blood. However, we want to know that the world has made every effort to support us. Then we are ready to do even the impossible for our country.

April 18, 2022

Serhiy Volyna