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The battle for the 'strategically important' city of Mariupol appears to be over after a siege that has lasted nearly three months. Dan Sabbagh, the defence and security editor of The Guardian, says this gives Russia a 'land bridge' to Crimea, and the ability to deliver supplies to the area when the port is reopened. He says that the offensive in Mariupol had engaged up 10,000 troops, but these forces could now potentially focus on other areas and help Russia make further progress in their "largely stalled" operations in the Donbas. He notes that the length of time it has taken Russia to dominate the city shows how logistically difficult urban warfare can be.

Photo: Pro-Russian troops wait before the evacuation of Ukrainian soldiers from the besieged Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol, May 16, 2022 Credit: Reuters