Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed victory in the battle for Mariupol, even as he orders his troops not to take the risk of storming the giant steel plant where the last Ukrainian defenders in the city are holed up.Instead, on Thursday he directed his forces to seal off the Azovstal plant "so that not even a fly comes through".After nearly two lethal months of bombardment that have largely reduced Mariupol to a smoking ruin, Russian forces appear to control the rest of the strategically vital city, including its vital but now badly damaged port. But the Ukrainian troops have stubbornly held out.
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