Surrendered Azovstal Ukrainian soldiers escorted to Donetsk by Russia backed forces
Channel: NEWS International
Date: 21/05/2022

Ukrainian soldiers, who surrendered at the besieged Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol on Friday (May 20) were taken by buses escorted by Russia-backed forces to a former former penal colony in the Russian-controlled town of Olenivka near Donetsk.

Hundreds of Ukrainian fighters have surrendered from the labyrinth of bunkers and tunnels below the Azovstal plant, though Moscow and Kyiv have given different estimates on numbers. On Friday, Russia said that up to 2,000 fighters from Azovstal had so far surrendered. It was unclear how many fighters remained inside. Ukrainian officials have declined to comment, saying it could endanger rescue efforts.

Russia needs Mariupol, one of Ukraine's main seaports, to cement its control of land it has seized along the coast, reaching all the way west to annexed Crimea.

The commander of Ukraine's Azov Regiment said in a video posted on Friday (May 20) an order had been issued to stop defending Mariupol and save the lives of soldiers at Azovstal plant, the last bastion of Ukrainian resistance against Russian forces in the besieged city.

"The military high command have given an order to save lives and the health of the garrison’s servicemen, and to cease defending the city," Denys Prokopenko, the commander, said in the video shared by the Azov Regiment on the Telegram messaging service.

"The civilians have been evacuated. The heavily wounded received the necessary assistance and they were evacuated, to be later exchanged and delivered to territory controlled by Ukraine," Prokopenko added.

Prokopenko said the process of removing the dead from the Azovstal plant was still under way. "I hope that in the near future, relatives and Ukraine will be able to bury their soldiers with honour," he said.
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