12 never-before-seen photos from Azovstal defense (Photos)

The defense of the Azovstal steel plant, Ukraine's last stronghold during the Russian siege of Mariupol in the spring of 2022, remains one of the most heroic operations carried out by the Ukrainian soldiers to date.

The plant was under constant Russian bombardment for nearly two months, and those stuck inside the bunkers – both military and civilians – were forced to survive on little food and medicine, barely seeing daylight.

Photos from Azovstal that emerged online during the siege shocked the world. They were taken by Dmytro Kozatskyi, call sign "Orest," who then was the head of the Azov regiment's press service.

Two years after Azovstal defenders were ordered to surrender to the encircling Russian forces, and as hundreds of them remain in captivity, The Kyiv Independent publishes never-before-seen photos from the plant, under the permission of the author, Kozatskyi.

Kozatskyi returned back home in a prisoner exchange on Sept. 21, 2022. However, hundreds of Azovstal defenders still remain in Russian captivity.