Russian troops prepare for defense in Mariupol – mayor's advisor Andriushchenko

He shared the information on Espreso TV.

"The corps, which was intended for the conditional defense of Mariupol, last summer amounted to about 1,500 occupying Russian troops. Today there are 5,000 to 7,000 of them who will remain to defend the city. In total, approximately 25,000 to 30,000 enemy troops are currently concentrated in Mariupol and Mariupol district. This includes both mobilized and Russian units withdrawn from the front line, as well as DPR and LPR fighters. At the same time, they are reinforcing themselves, digging trenches and installing "dragon's teeth," said the advisor.

Adviser Andriushchenko adds that Russian forces are installing these concrete structures with such intensity that they are going to open another concrete plant in the middle of the city.

"The occupiers are fortifying. They are really going to fight for Mariupol and Mariupol district. Therefore, it is quite possible that we will have a battle for Mariupol that will be no less fierce than the one before the occupation. It's sad, not only because the city will be destroyed, but also because all the basements in the city are now closed. So we understand the danger Russians are putting our people in again. Let's hope that the frontline will eventually tremble under our counteroffensive and the occupiers will flee. But today they are definitely not going to run away, because they are fortifying even in places where the Ukrainian Armed Forces have not fortified in the past. For example, they are fortifying from the coast along all kinds of cross-country roads from Berdiansk, as well as in the area of Rozivka on the border of Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions – all this shows that the enemy is preparing for defense," Andriushchenko summarized.

• On April 2, the advisor to the mayor of Mariupol, Petro Andriushchenko, reported that Russian troops were bringing pyramidal anti-tank structures called "dragon's teeth" to the Zaporizhzhia region.

• On April 6, Petro Andriushchenko said that in the Mariupol district, Russian troops were recruiting teenagers to join a "volunteer unit" and teaching them to fight.

• On April 10, Petro Andriushchenko said that Russian forces were evicting an entire village near Mariupol to accommodate the military.