The order to break out of Illich’s plant at Azovstal was received from Zaluzhny, the former acting commander of the 36th brigade

Sergey Volynskyi. Photo of UP

Participant in the defense of Mariupol, former acting the commander of the 36th Marine Corps Brigade, Hero of Ukraine Serhii Volynskyi stated that in April 2022, his 36th Brigade from the Illich plant in Mariupol, half surrounded by the Russians, first tried to go to Zaporizhzhia, but after two unsuccessful attempts began to break through to the Azovstal plant, because it received such an instruction from its head commissar Valery Zaluzhny.

Source: Volynskyi in an interview with “Ukrainian Pravda”

Direct language of the military: “In March, when we realized that we were completely surrounded, I organized the communication between (at that time, the commander of the 36th Marine Brigade, Volodymyr – ed.) Baraniuk and the headquarters. Then at some stage it became clear that all the options we have are all bad… There were two options for the development of events: one – to break through in the direction of Zaporizhzhia, and the other – to go to “Azovstal”. From Valery Fedorovych (Zaluzhny – ed.), we received instructions to go to “Azovstal”.

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Details: According to Volynskyi, Baranyuk “strongly disagreed” with this, he “didn’t see the sense in it” and probably didn’t see the possibility, because “Azovstal” is located “in the depths of the city, which is surrounded.” He added that, in the opinion of the brigade commander, the military had “some chance” of reaching Zaporozhye, even though it was far away.

Volynskyi said that the brigade first tried to go to Zaporozhye, but this plan failed twice, “a lot of people died as a result.”

“There was an order to break through to Azovstal. Few people believed in him. When it became clear that one way or another a decision had to be made, I managed to get in touch with the commander of the Azov regiment, Denys Prokopenko.

He flew the route we discussed with him and pointed out what was happening there. And on that very day it turned out like this: the Russians stretched the equipment used to block the bridge. I understood that it will be a surprise effect if we go exactly on the route that no one is expecting,” the soldier said.

He added that the risk of being captured was “maximum”.

“I believe that everything that happened in Mariupol and everything that allowed people to save their lives is a miracle.

We put Z-marks and V-marks on our cars and drove directly through the central exit of the plant on the central roads of the city with the headlights off. They did not stop at roadblocks. A machine gunner with the call sign “Father” shouted to them: “Yours!” – and so we drove to “Azovstal”, – said Volynskyi.

He added that about 250 people got to “Azovstal”.

“I was surprised, but we were all happy. We understood that we got even deeper into the surrounded city, we understood that we would not be able to come out with a fight, and that this was the last place of resistance,” Volynskyi concluded.