Earlier, the Chechen authorities confirmed that Kadyrov was in Mariupol. The head of Chechnya met with Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) leader Denis Pushilin and discussed plans for further cooperation.
"Russian servicemen have carried out tremendous work to liberate the city, a significant part of the enemy's manpower and armoured vehicles has been destroyed. At the moment, most of the city is under the control of the Russian armed forces", Kadyrov wrote on Telegram.
Over the past few weeks, the Donetsk People's Republic militia, together with Russian troops, have been clearing Mariupol of the remaining forces of Ukrainian radicals, including the Azov nationalist battalion.
A Russian serviceman guards the area of Mariupol, Donetsk People's Republic.
© Sputnik / Maksim Blinov
/ Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine on 24 February in response to calls from the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics for protection against intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops.
The Russian Defence Ministry said the special operation, which targets Ukrainian military infrastructure, aims to "demilitarise and de-Nazify" Ukraine. Moscow has also stressed it has no plans to occupy its neighbour.
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