KYIV: An adviser to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has paid tribute to Ukrainian troops defending the besieged south-eastern port of Mariupol but acknowledged they are running low on supplies.
Adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter that "for more than 1.5 months our defenders protect the city from (Russian) troops, which are 10+ times larger. They're fighting under the bombs for each meter of the city. They make (Russia) pay an exorbitant price."
Mariupol was a key target for Russian forces soon after the invasion began in late February. It has symbolic significance as one of the largest cities in eastern Ukraine.
It is also strategically valuable as a major harbour and as part of a land corridor between territory held by Russia-backed separatists to the east and the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
"Our soldiers remain blocked and have issues with supplies," Podolyak wrote, adding that Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian general staff are working "to find a solution and help our guys". He did not give details, citing operational reasons.