UK MINISTRY OF DEFENSE EXPLAINS WHY PUTIN HALTED ASSAULT ON AZOVSTAL

According to Ukrinform, the UK Ministry of Defense said this on Twitter.

"A full ground assault by Russia on the plant would likely incur significant Russian casualties, further decreasing their overall combat effectiveness," the statement said.

The ministry added that this is why Putin had decided to transfer part of his troops in Mariupol to other areas in eastern Ukraine.

"Despite Russia's renewed focus they are still suffering from losses sustained earlier in the conflict. In order to try and reconstitute their depleted forces, they have resorted to transiting inoperable equipment back to Russia for repair," the statement read.

Earlier, Putin called the proposed storming of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol inexpedient and ordered Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to cancel it, telling him to instead block off the area.

Earlier, the commander of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade, Major Serhiy Volyna, who is defending the besieged city of Mariupol, asked world leaders to take the fighters and civilians of Mariupol to the territory of a third-party state. He said more than 500 troops were wounded. In addition, there are hundreds of civilians at the Azovstal plant. At the same time, Deputy Commander of the Azov Regiment, Captain Sviatoslav Palamar, said that Mariupol's defenders considered unacceptable Russia's proposal that they lay down their arms and surrender.