"Mariupol has been seized by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the forces of the People's Militia of the Donetsk People's Republic," Sergey Shoygu said at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Shoygu called Mariupol "the capital of nationalist Azov battalion," referring to the far-right group fighting in the ranks of Ukraine's army.
He called the city "a powerful, fortified area, equipped with a large number of heavy weapons and military equipment."
The defense minister alleged that the Ukrainian forces were using civilians as human shields, but the Russian side "took all measures to preserve the lives of civilians."
Shoygu suggested that the Azovstal plant, the last bastion of Ukrainian troops be stormed, but Putin said it should be besieged.
Thousands of people were trapped in Mariupol over the past several days with little food or water as Russian forces besieged the city.
