Battle of Mariupol (May–June 2014)#Government recapture of Mariupol

File:Mariupol City Hall.jpg

{{Main|War in Donbas (2014–2022)|2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine}}

Mariupol is the second-largest city in Donetsk Oblast, and had experienced sporadic unrest since March 2014. Pro-Russian and anti-government groups first occupied the city council building on 18 March 2014.{{cite news|url=http://nahnews.com.ua/mariupol-protesters-stormed-the-city-council/|title=Mariupol Protesters Stormed the City Council|work=nahnews.com.ua|date=18 March 2014|access-date=9 May 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714063203/http://nahnews.com.ua/mariupol-protesters-stormed-the-city-council/|archive-date=14 July 2014|df=dmy}} The first violent incident had occurred during the night on 16 April 2014, when about 300 pro-Russian and anti-government protesters attacked a Ukrainian military unit in Mariupol, throwing petrol bombs.{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27065782 | title=Putin cautious on 'right' to send troops into Ukraine | work=BBC News | date=17 April 2014 | access-date=17 April 2014|author=Reynolds, James }} Internal Affairs minister Arsen Avakov said that troops were forced to open fire, resulting in the killing of three of the attackers.

Ukrainian government forces claimed they "liberated" the Mariupol city council on 24 April 2014, though this was heavily disputed by anti-government demonstrators, and a BBC report said that there was "no sign" of the army.[http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/ukraine-crisis-mariupol-city-hall-liberated-by-government-forces-1445854 Ukraine Crisis: Mariupol City Hall liberated by Government Forces]. International Business Times. (24 April 2014). Retrieved 10 May 2014.[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27153649 Ukraine crisis: BBC investigates Mariupol 'liberation' claims]. BBC. 25 April 2014 The building changed hands multiple times thereafter, but was captured by the army on 8 May.Rainsford, Sarah (7 May 2014) [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27305245 Ukraine crisis: Pro-Russians seize back Mariupol city hall]. BBCGalpin, Richart (8 May 2014) [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27320806 Ukraine crisis: Pro-Russia rebel vote to go ahead]. BBC.

A violent clash involving armoured personnel carriers (APC) took place at the Mariupol police headquarters on Victory Day, 9 May 2014. The Ukrainian government said it sent in the APCs in response to an attempt by militant separatists to storm the building. According to the Internal Affairs Ministry, the assault on the station involved 60 separatists armed with automatic weapons. Valeriy Androshchuk, the newly appointed chief of the Mariupol police, was taken captive and tortured by the separatists.{{Citation |last=Umland |first=Andreas |title=Irregular Militias and Radical Nationalism in Post-Euromaydan Ukraine: The Prehistory and Emergence of the "Azov" Battalion in 2014 |date=2020 |work=The 21st Century Cold War |pages=105–131 |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.1201/9780367855123-7/irregular-militias-radical-nationalism-post-euromaydan-ukraine-prehistory-emergence-azov-battalion-2014-andreas-umland |access-date=2024-04-17 |publisher=Routledge |doi=10.1201/9780367855123-7 |isbn=978-0-367-85512-3|url-access=subscription }} Some local policemen reportedly helped the militants during the takeover and later clashed with Internal Troops who fired on the building with heavy machine guns mounted on the APCs.{{cite news|first=Maxim|last=Tucker|url=https://www.kyivpost.com/content/kyiv-post-plus/ukrainian-troops-fired-on-from-crowd-during-may-9-clashes-in-mariupol-report-finds-378740.html|title=Ukrainian troops were shot at during May 9 protests in Mariupol, report finds|publisher=KyivPost|date=28 January 2015|access-date=28 October 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150129060905/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/kyiv-post-plus/ukrainian-troops-fired-on-from-crowd-during-may-9-clashes-in-mariupol-report-finds-378740.html|archive-date=29 January 2015}}

File:Burnt-out police station in Mariupol.jpg

The Ukrainian government said its contingent included police, as well as an Omega unit of the National Guard.{{cite news |title=Avakov says 21 dead in Mariupol after clashes between police and separatists on Victory Day |url= http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/victory-day-celebrations-start-as-fire-cuts-major-channels-off-air-live-updates-347033.html |newspaper=Kyiv Post |date=9 May 2014}} Pro-Russian protesters attempted to stop the advance, but were unsuccessful.[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27351621 Ukraine: 'Blood bath' in Mariupol]. BBC. 9 May 2014. Ukrainian security forces attacked the police headquarters in an attempt to recapture it from militants, and during the assault the building caught fire. According to Internal Affairs minister Arsen Avakov, a separatist sniper fired at Ukrainian soldiers and civilians from the upper floors of a hospital.{{cite news |title=Аваков: У Маріуполі снайпер subject з даху лікарні по людях |trans-title=Avakov: In Mariupol, a sniper fired at people from the roof of the hospital |url= http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/05/9/7024883/ |newspaper= Ukrayinska Pravda |date=9 May 2014}} Avakov said that the counterattack resulted in the deaths of twenty separatists, and the capture of four, while the rest dispersed. He referred to the separatist militants as "terrorists", and warned that "annihilation" would be Ukraine's answer to future acts of terrorism.[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-crisis-bloody-assault-in-mariupol-dashes-hopes-of-avoiding-civil-war-9347972.html Ukraine crisis: Bloody assault in Mariupol dashes hopes of avoiding civil war]. Independent.co.uk (9 May 2014). Retrieved 10 May 2014.

Avakov's account of what happened was contested by some Mariupol residents, who spoke to reporters from The New York Times, the BBC, and The Independent shortly after the incident.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/10/world/europe/ukraine-forces-destroy-police-building-in-restive-east.html|title=Ukraine Forces Attack Militant-Held Police Station|work=The New York Times|date=10 May 2014}} The residents (many of whom showed their Ukrainian passports to prove they were not from Russia) said that the government had attacked local police who were sympathetic to protesters. One version of events, put forward by a group of residents cited by The New York Times, was that the clash was sparked by Mariupol police rebelling against a new police chief sent by the interim government in Kyiv. The BBC report included a video showing pro-Russian activists trying unsuccessfully to stop armoured vehicles from moving into the city.

File:Burnt-out bank office in Mariupol.jpg in Mariupol. The building was set on fire on 4 May 2014.]]

After the fighting the Ukrainian forces withdrew from the city, leaving it fully under control of pro-Russian protesters. The military retained control over checkpoints surrounding the city.{{cite web|url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/05/9/7024880/ |title=Міноборони: блокпости навколо Маріуполя під контролем ЗСУ, 8 військових поранені | Українська правда |work=Ukrayinska Pravda |trans-title=Ministry of Defense: checkpoints around Mariupol under the control of the Armed Forces, 8 servicemen wounded & # 124; Ukrainian Truth (Pravda) |date=9 May 2014 |access-date=14 May 2014}} The Ukrainian government said that its forces withdrew "to avoid further aggravation".(12 May 2014) [https://web.archive.org/web/20140512222616/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/military-were-withdrawn-from-mariupol-to-avoid-further-aggravation-347355.html Military were withdrawn from Mariupol to avoid further aggravation] Kyiv Post The troops moving out of the city shot at unarmed civilians, according to The Guardian.{{cite web|author=Shaun Walker |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/10/donetsk-referendum-ukraine-civil-war |title=East Ukraine goes to the polls for independence referendum | The Observer |work=The Guardian |date=10 May 2014 |access-date=14 May 2014}}{{cite news |title= Ukraine rebels plan referendum on Sunday |url= http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/ukraine-rebels-plan-referendum-on-sunday/article5996603.ece |newspaper=The Hindu |date=11 May 2014}}{{cite web | url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10821859/Ukraine-pro-Russian-protesters-control-streets-of-Mariupol-on-day-after-deadly-fighting.html |title= Ukraine: pro-Russian protesters control streets of Mariupol on day after deadly fighting |work=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=14 May 2014}} Anna Neistat from Human Rights Watch stated "my preliminary findings suggest that Ukrainian units might indeed have used excessive force near the drama theater, which resulted in deaths and injuries of some unarmed people" and urged a full, thorough investigation.{{cite web|author=Anna Neistat |url= https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/05/10/dispatches-truth-casualty-ukraine-conflict |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140510231428/http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/05/10/dispatches-truth-casualty-ukraine-conflict |archive-date= 2014-05-10 |title=Dispatches: Truth a Casualty in Ukraine Conflict |publisher=Human Rights Watch |date=2014-05-10 |access-date=2014-06-14}}

File:Pro-Donetsk APC - Mariupol.ogv

One armoured personnel carrier was captured by pro-Russian protesters. After the clashes, the protesters built barricades on roads in the city centre. Overnight, the city administration building was set ablaze{{cite web|url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/05/10/7024889/ |title=У Маріуполі горить міськрада | Українська правда |trans-title=The City Council is burning in Mariupol & # 124; Ukrainian Pravda |work=Ukrayinska Pravda |date=9 May 2014 |access-date=14 May 2014}} and three gun shops were looted.{{cite web|url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/05/10/7024895/ |title=У Маріуполі сепаратисти полюють на зброю | Українська правда |trans-title=In Mariupol, separatists are "hunting" for weapons & # 124; Ukrainian Pravda |work=Ukrayinska Pravda |date=10 May 2014 |access-date=14 May 2014}} The next day, insurgents set alight the captured armoured vehicle, causing the ammunition inside to explode.{{cite web|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/west-warns-russia-ahead-of-illegal-east-ukraine-referendums/story-e6frg6so-1226913183430 |title=West warns Russia ahead of 'illegal' east Ukraine referendums |publisher=The Australian |date=2013-08-29 |access-date=2014-06-14}} Individuals also threw petrol bombs at the city prosecutor's office and a military building, setting them on fire.{{cite web|url=http://www.interfax.ru/world/375630 |title=Здание городской прокуратуры и воинская часть горят в… - Интерфакс |trans-title=The building of the city prosecutor's office and the military unit are on fire in… - Interfax |publisher=Interfax.ru |date=19 March 2014 |access-date=14 May 2014}} On 11 May 2014, eight polling places were set up in Mariupol for the DPR's referendum on self-rule. The low number of polling places caused queues hundreds of metres long.

Metinvest in conjunction with owners Rinat Akhmetov and Vadim Novinsky announced on 11 May 2014 that the company would be forming citywide militia groups from local steelworkers to work with police. The squads were intended to "protect civilians from looters and criminals operating in the city". Akhmetov urged the Ukrainian government to refrain from sending its forces to the city and to start negotiations with the insurgents.{{cite news |last=Robinson |first=Matt |url= http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-ukraine-crisis-idUKKBN0DR04H20140511 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141117150354/http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/05/11/uk-ukraine-crisis-idUKKBN0DR04H20140511 |archive-date= 2014-11-17 |title=Rebels declare victory in east Ukraine vote on self-rule |work=Reuters |access-date=14 May 2014}}{{cite web |author= ЛIГАБiзнесIнформИнформационное агентство|url= http://news.liga.net/news/politics/1695464-metinvest_sozdaet_druzhiny_rabochikh_dlya_okhrany_poryadka_v_mariupole.htm |title=Заводы Ахметова создают дружины для защиты Мариуполя от мародеров |trans-title=Akhmetov's factories are creating squads to protect Mariupol from looters |date= 11 May 2014 |publisher=News.liga.net |access-date=14 May 2014}}(11 May 2014) [https://www.metinvestholding.com/ru/press/news/show/2905 В МАРИУПОЛЕ НАЧАЛОСЬ ФОРМИРОВАНИЕ НАРОДНЫХ ДРУЖИН ИЗ ЧИСЛА МЕТАЛЛУРГОВ] (FORMATION OF PEOPLE'S TEAMS FROM METALLURGISTS BEGINS IN MARIUPOL) Metinvestholding.com. Retrieved 26 May 2014

File:Standoff between locals and Ukrainian forces in Mariupol, 9 May 2014 (6).jpg

An agreement initiated by Metinvest was signed on 15 May by steel plant directors, police and community leaders, and a representative of the Donetsk People's Republic separatists.{{cite web |url=http://www.metinvestholding.com/ru/press/news/show/2923 |title=Мариупольские металлурги, городская власть, общественность Мариуполя и лидер ДНР подписали Меморандум о порядке и безопасности |trans-title=Mariupol metallurgists, city authorities, Mariupol public and DNR leader sign Memorandum of Order and Security |date=2005-11-06 |access-date=2014-06-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517151339/http://www.metinvestholding.com/ru/press/news/show/2923 |archive-date=17 May 2014 |url-status=dead }}Karmanau, Uras, Associated Press (16 May 2014) [http://www.businessinsider.com/a-key-group-of-ukraine-workers-pushed-rebels-away-in-the-east-2014-5?IR=T Steelworkers Take Back East Ukraine City in Huge Power Shift]. Business Insider. Retrieved 25 May 2014 Steelworkers and security guards from Metinvest, along with local police, began joint patrols in the city of Mariupol.{{cite news | url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-pro-russian-insurgents-retreat-from-buildings-in-mariupol-1.2644943 | title=Pro-Russian insurgents retreat from buildings in Mariupol | work=CBC News | date=16 May 2014 | access-date=16 May 2014}}{{cite press release | url=http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/118608 | title=Latest from the Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine - based on information received until 18:00 hrs, 14 May | publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe | date=14 May 2014 | access-date=16 May 2014}} Associated Press reported that these groups forced the insurgents out of the buildings that they had been occupying. Although a DPR representative was party to the deal which led to this vacation of buildings by the insurgents, a local commander of those insurgents who had been occupying the building said that "someone is trying to sow discord among us, someone has signed something, but we will continue our fight", and that "everyone ran away". Steelworkers could be seen removing barricades from the city centre, and also cleaning up the burnt city administration building. By the morning of 16 May 2014, Associated Press journalists could find no trace of the insurgents in Mariupol city centre. On 16 May, however, it seemed that separatists were not banished from the city: reporters from The Washington Post said that about a hundred pro-Russian activists gathered on the steps of the city administration building, and that the separatist flag continued to fly over it.Kunkle, Frederick (16 May 2014) [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/steelworkers-help-keep-uneasy-calm-in-eastern-ukraine/2014/05/16/eea805b6-d4b2-4f8a-96c4-75a8372b13fb_story.html Steelworkers help keep uneasy calm in eastern Ukraine] The Washington Post Radio Free Europe reported on 17 May that separatist militants (unarmed, but some wearing balaclavas) were patrolling Mariupol alongside police.Charles Recknagel (17 May 2014) [https://web.archive.org/web/20140517171406/http://www.rferl.org/content/gray-zone-mariupol-sinks-into-power-vacuum/25388574.html Gray Zone: Mariupol Sinks Into Power Vacuum] Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty On 19 May 2014, CNN reporters found DPR supporters, including armed militia, running their headquarters in a suburb of Mariupol.Greene, Richard Allen (19 May 2014) [https://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/18/world/europe/mariupol-urkraine-leadership-vacuum/ Who's in charge here? In one eastern Ukrainian city, answer isn't clear.] CNN. Retrieved 25 May 2014 The leader of the group, Denis Kuzmenko, told the reporters he welcomed the role of the steelworkers in the city.

On the morning of 13 June 2014, heavy fighting resumed as part of military operations in Mariupol, in which the Azov and Dnipro-1 Battalions retook the city and key buildings occupied by insurgents, killing five militants and destroying an insurgent BRDM-2 armoured vehicle.{{cite web |url= http://censor.net.ua/news/289698/boyitsy_batalonov_azov_i_dnepr1_unichtojili_pyat_terroristov_vzyali_neskolko_zdaniyi_i_podbili_brdm |title=Battalion "Azov" and "Dnepr-1" killed five terrorists, took a couple of buildings and knocked BRDM |author=Цензор.НЕТ |work=Цензор.НЕТ |access-date=23 October 2014}}{{cite web |url= http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/mariupol-militia-loses-five-men-in-combat-351690.html |title=Mariupol 'militia' loses five men in combat |work=Kyiv Post |date=13 June 2014 |access-date=2014-06-14}}[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27829773 Ukraine crisis: Kiev forces win back Mariupol], BBC News (13 June 2014) Two soldiers were also killed{{cite web |url= http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2014/06/ukrainian-troops-regain-port-city-mariupol-201461393754228959.html |title= Ukrainian troops regain port city of Mariupol |author=Al Jazeera and agencies |access-date=23 October 2014}} and 4–11 separatists were captured.{{cite web |url= http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/four-ukrainian-troops-injured-as-anti-terrorist-operation-moves-to-mariupol-351719.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140614013531/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/four-ukrainian-troops-injured-as-anti-terrorist-operation-moves-to-mariupol-351719.html |archive-date= 2014-06-14 |title=Four Ukrainian troops injured as anti-terrorist operation moves to Mariupol (VIDEO) |work=Kyiv Post |date= 13 June 2014 |access-date=30 January 2017}}{{cite web |url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10899655/US-accuses-Russia-of-sending-rocket-launchers-to-Ukraine-rebels.html |title=US accuses Russia of sending rocket launchers to Ukraine rebels |author=AFP |date=14 June 2014 |work=Telegraph.co.uk |access-date=23 October 2014}} A military armoured personnel carrier was destroyed during the fighting.{{cite web |url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/13/ukraine-launches-dawn-raid-rebel-held-mariupol |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140613104632/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/13/ukraine-launches-dawn-raid-rebel-held-mariupol |archive-date= 2014-06-13 |title=Ukraine launches dawn raid on rebel-held Mariupol |work=the Guardian |access-date=23 October 2014}} Internal Affairs minister Avakov said "All key terrorist strongholds are being brought under control".

As a result of the six-hour battle, Ukrainian forces hoisted the national flag over the insurgent headquarters in the city and said they had regained control of a {{convert|75|mi|km|adj=on|order=flip}} stretch of the border with Russia.{{cite web |last=Miller |first=Christopher |url= http://mashable.com/2014/06/13/ukraine-seize-port-city-russia-separatists/ |title= Ukrainian Forces Seize Crucial Port City From Pro-Russia Separatists |website=Mashable |date=2011-11-18 |access-date=2014-06-14}}{{cite web |url= http://news.sky.com/story/ukraine-troops-storm-rebel-held-buildings-10400968 |title=Ukraine Troops Storm Rebel-Held Buildings |publisher=Sky news |access-date=2014-06-14}} Immediately following the operation, Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko instructed the chief of the Donetsk regional state administration Serhiy Taruta to temporarily move the regional capital to Mariupol. A minor incident occurred the next morning, when a convoy of border guardsmen was attacked by insurgents whilst passing Mariupol, leaving five guardsmen dead and seven wounded.{{Cite web|url=https://www.0629.com.ua/news/555391/v-mariupole-na-post-mostu-rasstrelali-kolonnu-pogranicnikov-est-pogibsie-fotovideo|title=В Мариуполе на пост-мосту расстреляли колонну пограничников. Есть погибшие (ФОТО+ВИДЕО) |trans-title=Mariupol A column of border guards was shot dead in a post-bridge in Mariupol. There are dead (PHOTOS + VIDEO) |website=0629.com.ua - Сайт города Мариуполя}}

OSCE monitors visited Mariupol to assess the situation in the city on 18 August.{{cite press release | url= http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/122771 | title=Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 18:00 (Kyiv time), 18 August 2014 | publisher= Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe |date=19 August 2014 | access-date=19 August 2014}} They reported that the city was calm and secure. They spoke to a local activist who told them that "the city had become stable" in the months after the recapture of the city by government forces. According to UNHCR, there were at least 4,000 refugees from the ongoing war in the Donbas region at the time that the monitors visited the city. Unofficial statistics cited by the OSCE gave the number of refugees in Mariupol as 20,000.

There were conflicting reports regarding the number and identity of the dead with regard to the 9 May 2014 incident. Internal Affairs minister Arsen Avakov stated that the operation resulted in the death of one policeman, and about twenty people described as "terrorists".[https://web.archive.org/web/20140510235756/http://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/At-least-7-dead-in-southeastern-Ukraine-port-city-5466468.php At least 7 dead in southeastern Ukraine port city]. Associated Press via Newsinfo.inquirer.net. 10 May 2014 Four militants were captured and five policemen were wounded.Walker, Shaun and Grytsenko, Oksana (9 May 2014) [https://web.archive.org/web/20140510174817/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/09/ukraine-crisis-mariupol-police-station Ukraine crisis: 'three people killed' in fighting at Mariupol police station]. The Guardian. Retrieved 10 May 2014. The Daily Telegraph reported that some locals thought that most of the between five and twenty people killed were innocent civilians.{{cite web|last=Blair |first=David |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10828659/Seven-Ukrainian-soldiers-killed-in-ambush.html |title=Seven Ukrainian soldiers killed in ambush |work=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=14 May 2014}}

City traffic police chief Viktor Sayenko was killed in the fighting on 9 May.(11 May 2014) [https://web.archive.org/web/20140514204132/http://www.euronews.com/2014/05/11/ukraine-funeral-held-for-slain-traffic-police-chief-in-divided-mariupol Ukraine: Funeral held for slain traffic police chief in divided Mariupol] Euronews. Retrieved 26 May 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/mariupol-police-confirms-death-of-traffic-police-chief-sayenko-347211.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140510174942/http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/mariupol-police-confirms-death-of-traffic-police-chief-sayenko-347211.html|archive-date=2014-05-10 |title=Mariupol police confirm death of traffic police chief Sayenko |work=Kyiv Post |date=10 May 2014|access-date=14 May 2014}} A Euronews report said Mariupol residents, including the priest who conducted Sayenko's funeral, were unsure how he was killed, or who was responsible. Chief of Police Valery Andruschuk was captured by pro-Russian forces. He was released on 12 May, and was found in serious condition with a brain injury, brain contusion, and broken ribs.{{cite news|url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/05/12/7025035/ |title=Начальника міліції Маріуполя звільнили - з травмами, але живий | Українська правда |trans-title=Mariupol police chief fired - with injuries but alive & # 124; Ukrainian Pravda |work=Ukrayinska Pravda |access-date=14 May 2014}} It was confirmed later that two pro-government territorial defence battalion paramilitaries were killed as well. One of them was the deputy commander of the Dnipro Battalion, Serhiy Demydenko, who was killed by sniper fire. Citing eyewitnesses, Mariupol internet publication 0629 reported that "terrorists took Demidenko's dead body and cut his ears off and gouged his eyes." Eight soldiers were also wounded in the fighting.

The Mariupol city administration declared 10 May 2014 as a day of mourning in honour of those killed in the 9 May incident.{{cite news |url= http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/204219.html |title= Mariupol holds day of mourning on May 10 – City Council |agency= Interfax-Ukraine |date=10 May 2014 |access-date=19 May 2014}} Residents placed flowers in front of the gutted police station.Blair, David (10 May 2014) [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10822396/Ukraine-Security-forces-abandon-Mariupol-ahead-of-referendum.html Ukraine: Security forces abandon Mariupol ahead of referendum] The Daily Telegraph. A large public funeral was held in Kyiv on 12 May for an Azov Battalion member who was killed in the fighting.{{cite web |url= http://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/25382387.html |title=Світ у відео: в Києві прощалися з бійцем спецпідрозділу "Азов", який загинув у Маріуполі |trans-title=The world in video: in Kiev said goodbye to the soldier of special forces "Azov" who was lost in Mariupol |publisher= Radiosvoboda.org |access-date=14 May 2014}}

A further violent death was reported on 25 May, when the Ukrainian government said its special police had killed a bodyguard of Mariupol DPR leader Denis Kuzmenko, while arresting Kuzmenko himself.Birnbaum, Michael (25 May 2014) [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/ukrainians-head-to-the-polls-to-elect-a-new-president-except-in-the-restive-east/2014/05/25/2680fad4-e9f7-4118-923e-852b01351b39_story.html In Ukrainian election, chocolate tycoon Poroshenko claims victory] The Washington Post. Retrieved 26 May 2014. Five separatists and two soldiers were killed during the takeover of the city by the military on 13 June 2014. Five border guards were killed and seven wounded in an ambush attack on a military convoy on 14 June 2014.

A report by Human Rights Watch said that the Ukrainian military may have used excessive force during the battle of Mariupol.{{cite news |last=Neistat |first=Anna |title=Dispatches: Truth a Casualty in Ukraine Conflict |url= https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/05/10/dispatches-truth-casualty-ukraine-conflict |publisher=Human Rights Watch |date=10 May 2014 |access-date=14 October 2014}}

In January 2015, Kyiv Post cited a Bellingcat citizen's investigation into the May 2014 events in Mariupol. It asserted that Ukrainian soldiers had made a decided effort to avoid firing directly at the protesters, whilst taking fire and suffering casualties themselves. According to the investigation, of the thirteen people listed killed, six were Ukrainian law enforcement officers, soldiers, or members of the Azov Battalion.

Several months following this battle, a second battle broke out in the city as pro-Russian separatists again tried to break into the city, but also failed.{{cite news|author=Aleksandar Vasovic|author2=Gabriela Baczynska| url =https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-idUSKBN0H30HM20140909|title=Ukraine president visits frontline city amid 'shaky' ceasefire|date=8 September 2014|work=Reuters|access-date=17 July 2015}} Ukrainian control in the city would remain until the Siege of Mariupol in May 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.{{cite web|title=Battle ongoing near Mariupol – mayor|date=25 February 2022 |url=https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/3412585-battle-ongoing-near-mariupol-mayor.html|access-date=25 February 2022|publisher=Ukrinform|archive-date=25 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220225110919/https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/3412585-battle-ongoing-near-mariupol-mayor.html|url-status=live}}

On 13 June 2015, a monument to the defenders of the Military Unit No. 3057 was unveiled in the city on the first anniversary of the battle.{{Cite web|url=https://www.0629.com.ua/news/856557/v-mariupole-otkryli-pamatnik-geroam-zasitivsim-voinskuu-cast-no3057-vesnoj-2014-go-foto|title=В Мариуполе открыли памятник героям, защитившим воинскую часть №3057 весной 2014-го (ФОТО) |trans-title=Monument to heroes who defended military unit №3057 unveiled in Mariupol in spring 2014 (PHOTOS) |website=0629.com.ua - Сайт города Мариуполя}} A documentary film on the Public TV of Azov called Year of Freedom. Mariupol After DNR was released in 2015.[http://priazov.tv/video/rik-vyzvolennya-mariupol-pislya-dnr/ Рік визволення. Маріуполь після ДНР] (Year of liberation. Mariupol after the DNR) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161015084901/http://priazov.tv/video/rik-vyzvolennya-mariupol-pislya-dnr/ |date=15 October 2016 }} / The year of Freedom. Mariupol after DNR [English subs] — документальний фільм Mariupol Liberation Day from Russian Occupation ({{Langx|uk|День звільнення Маріуполя від проросійських терористів}}) was celebrated annually on 13 June, being an official holiday in the city. It was first celebrated at the state level in 2016 (the second anniversary). On this day, the Azov Regiment held an organized military parade at 10:00 am.

On Liberation Day 2019, the traditional military parade was held, during which soldiers of the Azov Regiment, Military Unit 3057, representatives of the National Police and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine marched.{{Cite web|url=http://mariupolnews.com.ua/news/view/voennyj-parad-turnir-i-kontsert-kak-mariupol-otmetit-5-letie-osvobozhdeniya|title=Военный парад, турнир и концерт: как Мариуполь отметит 5-летие освобождения|trans-title=Military parade, tournament and concert: how Mariupol will celebrate the 5th anniversary of liberation|access-date=28 June 2020|archive-date=7 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220307125156/http://mariupolnews.com.ua/news/view/voennyj-parad-turnir-i-kontsert-kak-mariupol-otmetit-5-letie-osvobozhdeniya|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.5.ua/ru/amp/obshchestvo/hodovshchyna-osvobozhdenyia-maryupolia-kak-5-let-nazad-syli-ato-prohnaly-vraha-yz-horoda-194136.html|title = Годовщина освобождения Мариуполя: как 5 лет назад силы АТО прогнали врага из города |trans-title=Anniversary of the liberation of Mariupol: how 5 years ago the anti-terrorist operation forces drove the enemy out of the city}} President Volodymyr Zelensky paid an official visit to the city, attending joint military exercises and the opening of a demining center.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/zelenskiy-visits-mariupol-as-city-celebrates-fifth-anniversary-of-liberation-/30001356.html|title=Zelenskiy Visits Mariupol As City Celebrates Fifth Anniversary Of 'Liberation'|website=www.rferl.org}} Gala concerts were also held throughout the city.{{Cite web|url=http://mariupolnews.com.ua/news/view/mariupol-otmetit-5-letie-osvobozhdeniya-voennym-paradom-i-kontsertom-tnmk-i-tayanna |title=Мариуполь отметит 5-летие освобождения военным парадом и концертом ТНМК и Tayanna |trans-title=Mariupol will mark the 5th anniversary of the liberation with a military parade and a concert by TNMK and Tayanna }}{{Cite web|url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qX_BbR98Udg|title = В Мариуполе начался праздничный уикенд, посвященный 5-летию освобождения города от оккупантов |trans-title=A festive weekend dedicated to the 5th anniversary of the liberation of the city from the occupiers has started in Mariupol |website = YouTube}}

• Offensive on Mariupol (September 2014)
• Offensive on Mariupol (January 2015)

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{{2014 pro-Russian conflict in Ukraine}}

{{Mariupol in the Russo-Ukrainian War}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle of Mariupol (May-June 2014)}}

Category:2014 in Ukraine

Category:Mariupol in the Russo-Ukrainian War

Mariupol

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Category:May 2014 in Ukraine

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Mariupol