Inside the Azovstal Siege
On Feb. 24, at the start of Russia’s invasion, the director of Azovstal and its board made a decision that would shape the battle for eastern Ukraine: They turned the plant into a refuge for employees and their families. The plant’s 36 bomb shelters, some more than 20 feet underground, had enough food for weeks.

Ukrainian soldiers also arrived at Azovstal, which they saw as the perfect place to make a last stand, surrounded on three sides by water and ringed by high walls.

But Azovstal also became a trap. The presence of civilians hampered the soldiers’ ability to defend themselves. The presence of Ukrainian fighters meant the civilians had to endure a vicious siege as food and clean water ran out.

On March 21, two helicopters carrying Ukrainian Special Forces fighters, crates of Stinger and Javelin missiles and a satellite internet system made a daring descent into the Azovstal complex. It was the first of seven missions in “Operation Air Corridor” to bring weapons in and wounded soldiers out.