Photo by Dmytro Kozatsky | The Azovstal plant, Mariupol. May 10, 2022 | A female Ukrainian soldier inside the ruined Azovstal metalworking plant.
The city of Mariupol has traditionally been the home and base of the Azov Battalion, a military force that merged with the National Guard of Ukraine in 2014 following Russia’s annexation of the Crimean Peninsula. The battalion is now considered one of the best-equipped and -experienced units in the Ukrainian army.