The Russian defense ministry claimed on Wednesday more than 1,000 Ukrainian marines have surrendered in the besieged city of Mariupol, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed to swap recently detained pro-Putin lawmaker Viktor Medvechuk in exchange for captive Ukrainians. The capture of Mariupol will allow Russia to reinforce its land bridge connecting pro-Russian separatist-held areas in the Donbas region with the Russian annexed region of Crimea. Will this change the war?

