- Ukrainian troops in Mariupol are smuggling weapons into the city to hold out against the Russian assault.
- They are also stealing weapons and ammunition off of Russian soldiers to resupply their stocks.
- There has been "continuous heavy shelling" in the port city since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.
Ukrainian troops in Mariupol are taking ammunition off of Russian troops and smuggling in weapons to resupply and hold out against the Russian assault.
Western officials in a briefing to reporters Tuesday said there is evidence of Ukrainian troops in Mariupol smuggling weapons into encircled areas for reinforcement as additional Russian troops close in.
"Ukrainian forces, though remarkably adept at smuggling weapons into areas which are encircled, they are also largely being able to resupply their fighters by taking weapons, ammunition, off Russian soldiers in the city itself," Western officials told reporters in a briefing.
The officials acknowledged the "continuous heavy shelling" in the city and "significant infrastructure damage across Mariupol." They added that it's a "fool's errand" to predict how long Mariupol might hold out, considering that many in the city are being starved and there is no drinkable water because of the Russian attacks.
"There will be a moment in time when Russian forces will decide they've done enough in Mariupol and then they will look to how they mount these operations moving to the north and trying to mount as part of this broader envelopment an operation," the officials said.
"It's clear the Russians will want to do that quickly," they continued. "It's just a question of how soon they're able to overcome the resistance in Mariupol."
Russian forces have been mercilessly attacking Mariupol for weeks, targeting civilians, even after agreeing to allow innocent people to leave through civilian corridors.