The Russian military claimed on Friday that it had “fully released“The Azovstal steel plant in the strategic city of Mariupol, in south-eastern Ukraine, following the surrender of the last Ukrainian soldiers present there.
“Since May 16, 2,439 Nazis from (regiment) Azov and Ukrainian soldiers trapped in the factory surrendered. Today, May 20, the last group of 531 fighters surrendered“Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement posted on Telegram.
Stopping the fighting in Azovstal
“The underground facilities of the site, where the fighters were hiding, came under the full control of the Russian armed forces“, and Ms Konachenkov.
The head of the fighters of the Azov regiment, Denys Prokopenko, surrendered and was evacuated from the plant in a “special armored vehicle“to prevent him from being taken to task by hostile inhabitants, he said.
Earlier in the day, Denys Prokopenko had announced the end of the fighting in a video posted on Telegram:
“The higher military command gave the order to save the lives of the soldiers of our garrison and to stop defending the city“, he had said, a large bandage on the right arm and the swollen left, from what seemed to be an underground room.
“I hope that soon the families and all of Ukraine will be able to bury their fighters with honors. Glory to Ukraine!“, he had concluded.
Last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in this city, the immense metallurgical complex with its maze of underground galleries dug during the Soviet era was the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in this port city on the Sea of Azov, massively bombarded by the Russians. The fierce defense of the site resulted in an unknown number of military casualties.
kyiv did not speak of surrender to Azovstal but of “saving our heroes“with international backing, in the words of President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday evening.
Hell” in Donbass
Ukraine wants to organize an exchange of prisoners of war but Russia has let it be known, implicitly targeting the Azov regiment, that it considers some of them to be “neo-Nazi” fighters.
In a press release, the ICRC recalled that the Geneva Convention required belligerents to give it “full access” to allow access to prisoners of war “wherever they are detained”, including to inform the families who are “still very numerous running out of answers”.
After failing to take kyiv and Kharkiv, the second Ukrainian city (northeast), Russia is concentrating its military efforts in the east and south. Moscow seeks in particular to completely conquer the Donbass, partially controlled since 2014 by pro-Russian separatists.
“The Russian occupation forces are carrying out intense fire along the entire front line“Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandre Motouzianyk said during a briefing in Kyiv, adding that the situation”showed signs of worsening“.
“It’s hell” in the Donbass, where a heavy artillery battle is underway, the Ukrainian president said Thursday evening. His services reported Friday morning shelling on an axis running from the northeast to the south of the country.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu for his part assured that the conquest of the Lugansk region, which with that of Donetsk constitutes the Donbass, was “almost completed”.
