the times | Tuesday May 17 2022 2GM 11News
More than 260 Ukrainian troops left
the besieged Azovstal steel plant yes-
terday after Russia agreed to move the
seriously wounded to a medical centre
in the town of Novoazovsk, and the rest
through a humanitarian corridor to the
town of Olenivka, both of which are
controlled by Russian forces.
A dozen or so buses were seen leaving
the plant in Mariupol but the number of
passengers was unclear.
Ganna Malyar, one of Ukraine’s
deputy defence ministers, said that of
264 personnel evacuated, 53 heavily
wounded had been taken to Novo-
azovsk and the rest to Olenivka. All
may be exchanged for Russian
prisoners, she added.
It is thought that before yesterday
about 600 servicemen remained inside
the Azovstal works. Ukraine’s military
said it had “ordered the commanders of
the units stationed at Azovstal to save
the lives of the personnel” and thattroops there had fulfilled their combat
mission. President Zelensky said in a
video statement: “Ukraine needs its
Ukrainian heroes alive.” Efforts to
rescue troops still inside were under
way, the military added.
Earlier Russia used a captured
infantry fighting vehicle to bombard
the Azovstal steel works to try to finally
take it. Video shot by the Russian
broadcaster Aleksandr Sladkov showed
a modern BTR-4 amphibious infantry
fighting vehicle firing bursts of its
30mm cannon at Mariupol.Azovstal defenders leave
steel plant in hundreds
Charlie Faulkner, Maxim TuckerThe captured BTR-4 used in MariupolLatvia has asked Nato to approve a
missile defence shield over the Baltic
states as about 18,000 troops from the
alliance begin war games in the region.
Nato is strengthening its presence
across the eastern flank better to better
withstand a possible Russian attack. Its
ranks are likely to grow within months
after Sweden followed Finland in
formally announcing its decision to
apply to join the club.
The balance of power in northeast-
ern Europe is tilting sharply against
President Putin, who said he had “no
problems” with the two Nordic states
entering Nato but accused the US
of “aggressively” exploiting
countries in the region to
pursue its own interests.
At a Nato summit in
Madrid next month
the Baltic countries of
Estonia, Latvia and
Lithuania will push
the alliance to adopt a
more ambitious “for-
ward defence” strategy
that would involve
deploying additional
soldiers and military
hardware closer to their
borders in the east and
training for a land war intended to stop
any Russian invasion in its tracks.
The three countries, all of which
share borders with Russia, are pushing
for further security guarantees such as
a permanent US military base.
At a Nato meeting in Berlin over the
weekend Edgars Rinkevics, the Latvian
foreign minister, said the “existential”
threat posed by Russia was here to stay.
“A more robust presence of Nato allied
forces is needed in each of the BalticUkrainians in eastern Donbas’
News
states, which would include reinforce-
ment with anti-aircraft and missile
defence systems,” he said.
Estonia has also warned that the alli-
ance must be ready to mount a whole-
sale defence of its territory against
Russia within two years.
It wants two more Nato battalions,
which would roughly double the size of
the UK-led Nato battlegroup stationed
in the country, and an allied air force
capable of beating Russia in the skies. A
40,000-strong “rapid reaction” force
has been placed on standby to go to the
Baltic states’ aid if necessary.
Some 15,000 troops from a dozen
Nato states, including the UK, have
begun conducting Exercise
Hedgehog, a joint training
operation across much of
Estonia and part of
Latvia. Another 3,
soldiers, including a
German-led battle-
group, are simultane-
ously carrying out a
wargame called Iron
Wolf in Lithuania.
Magdalena Anders-
son, the Swedish prime
minister, confirmed yes-
terday that her country
would try to join Nato,
arguing that it would be
left in a “very vulnerable” position if
Finland joined without it.
As Denmark and Norway followed
Britain in offering Sweden and Finland
security guarantees while their applica-
tions are under way, Putin’s initial
reaction was restrained. He said he
would respond to the accession in line
with the “threats created for us” but
complained that Nato expansion was a
“completely artificial problem” manu-
factured by the US.Baltic states seek
shelter with Nato
shield of missiles
Oliver Moody BerlinU
krainian troops filmed
themselves arriving at
what they said was
Russian territory
yesterday, holding a
restored border post in the blue and
yellow of their flag (Maxim Tucker
writes).
Twelve soldiers posed for the
camera as they celebrated with V
for victory signs and smiles.
The Ukrainian defence ministry
said in a Facebook post that the227th Battalion of the 127th Brigade
had arrived at the edge of Russian
territory, adding: “Together to
victory!”
Kharkiv, a city of 1.5 million
people ten miles from the Russian
border, was among the first cities
targeted by Putin’s forces in the
early stages of the invasion. It has
suffered regular and heavy
bombardments since late February.
Those attacks have become less
frequent in the past few days asUkrainian forces counterattacked,
driving Russian artillery back.
“I’m filled with overwhelming
happiness to see Ukrainian soldiers
restore the border with Russia,”
said Aliona Noha, 39, a Kharkiv
resident who has spent the past
weeks sleeping in a bomb shelter.
Russia’s failure to take Kharkiv
and its withdrawal from the local
area is another humiliation for the
Kremlin, after its forces pulled back
from Kyiv in early April.Ukrainians reacted
with joy to videos
of troops arriving at
what they said was
Russian territory,
lavishing praise on
the men as
“heroes” and
thanking them for
their service.
Russia’s failure to
take the nearby
Ukrainian city of
Kharkiv is another
humiliation for
MoscowUKRAINIAN MINISTRY OF DEFENCE/REUTERS; MSTYSLAV CHERNOV/APloiting
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G g o w W Mson,
min
terd
wouSanna Marin, the prime
minister, has confirmed
Finland’s wish to join Nato