MARIUPOL, February 9. /TASS/. Bomb engineers of the Donetsk People’s Republic have destroyed hundreds of munitions at major industrial plants in Mariupol, commander of a mine clearing platoon of the First Army Corps who goes by the call name Prizrak, or Ghost, told TASS on Thursday.
"Several hundred munitions have already been destroyed. There are different categories of munitions. A round that hasn’t passed through a barrel is one thing. A round that hasn’t exploded is another. Plus, we come across booby traps," the commander noted.
"They were aimed at us, by the way. An explosive device is placed at eye or shoulder level. Basically, a sapper looks under his feet, that's the supposition," the military officer said
According to the commander, injuries are avoided thanks to special equipment and good training.
The platoon is currently clearing munitions from three large steel plants in Mariupol. Due to the large volume of work, it’s hard to say when the mine clearing efforts will be over.
"At Azovstal alone, mines are at every step. Basements are also rigged with mines. There’s still a lot of work ahead," the commander said.
Mariupol, the largest city on the shore of the Sea of Azov, is one of the key steel manufacturing centers in Donbass and a major seaport. The Battle for Mariupol started on February 25, 2022. Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu told Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 21, 2022 that the city had been liberated by the Russian military and the forces of the People’s Militia of the DPR. The city is gradually returning to peaceful life.