Zelensky spoke about the pilots who flew to Azovstal

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky for the first time told how Ukrainian pilots made attempts to fly to Azovstal to help the defenders of Mariupol.

He stressed that this happened in the absence of air corridors to Azovstal, while the powerful air defense of the invaders was working.

A very large number of our pilots died, unfortunately. Absolutely heroic people who knew that it was difficult, that it was almost impossible to fly to Azovstal and bring them medicines, food, water, pick up the bodies, the wounded. All this happened. No one could officially comment," Zelensky said.

He recalled that representatives of the National Guard, and 400 border guards, paratroopers, policemen, even employees of the Security Service of Ukraine, doctors, military doctors, ordinary people, local people were on the territory of the plant.

All these people are absolutely heroic. How it happened, what happened here is one question. They defended Mariupol,” Zelensky said.

He stressed that Ukraine "not just" called on the world to help close the sky over its territory.

It's not just all these talks. It's not that we are afraid of airplanes, although they are dangerous. But we have seen that they (occupiers - ed.) were also afraid to fly because they were losing. The issue was not only in airplanes. The question was in their air defense, in their missiles, in many ways. That's why you can't just go to Mariupol. You just can't, he said.

The president also said that almost all the people who were on the plant's territory were evacuated from Azovstal in Mariupol.

Civilians, doctors, seriously wounded were taken out. At this moment, the removal of people also takes place. It seems to me that in the near future, even, not one of these days, but the time will be completed, the removal of everyone," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

According to the President, intermediaries, Western partners will deal with the unblocking.