Lt. Col. Denys Prokopenko, commander of the Azov Regiment soldiers inside the Azovstal plant, said fierce fighting is taking place within the complex after Russian forces broke its perimeter.

Earlier Wednesday, the Foreign minister of Ukraine declared the facility “holds” despite Russian strikes.

“Despite all the statements by Russian officials that Mariupol is under their full control, this is not true. Azovstal, the stronghold — the last stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in Mariupol — still holds,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a Twitter Livestream.

Ukrainian parliament member David Arakhamia revealed in an interview with Radio Svoboda that Russian forces had already arrived at the Azovstal steel factory.

Arakhamia, who has headed the Ukrainian team in discussions with Russia, also reported that Ukrainian officials were able to re-establish contact with Ukrainian fighters at Azovstal after losing contact earlier in the day.

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