Russian President Vladimir Putin has hailed Russia’s “liberation” of Mariupol. His remarks came during the meeting with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu who told him Moscow controlled the Ukrainian port city apart from the Azovstal steel plant.

However, the president ordered his forces not to storm the last remaining Ukrainian stronghold in the besieged city but to block it instead.

“Block off this industrial area so that not even a fly can escape,” Putin said adding it would be “impractical” to storm the huge industrial area, where more than 2,000 Ukrainian servicemen remain according to Shoigu.