DPR forces say they have taken Mariupol

The head of the Donetsk self-proclaimed Republic of Donetsk said on Monday afternoon that Donetsk forces managed to take control of the port of Mariupol from the Ukrainian forces.

Russian troops with the help of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions have intensified their siege on the strategic port of Mariupol in recent weeks.

Russian forces last week began withdrawal from northern parts of the Ukrainian capital of Kiyv to focus on the east where the Donbas region is located.

A 13-kilometer long Russian convoy was reported moving towards Donbas, which includes both Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

The Ukrainian President Zelensky warned on Monday that if Donbas falls, Russia could stage another attack to control the capital. 

During the first weeks of the conflict, a 60-kilometer long convoy of Russian troops with a variety of equipment was reported heading to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov recently announced Moscow's next focus would be on eastern Ukraine, noting that Russia's primary goal in the military operation in Ukraine had been achieved. The spokesman for the Russian president said that the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Kyiv region was to show Moscow's goodwill in order to create favorable conditions for peace talks with the Ukrainian side.