The industrial zone and the city are thus completely under Russian control, the Ministry of Defense announced in Moscow on Friday evening. A total of 2,439 Ukrainian soldiers have been taken prisoner by the Russians since May 16. On Friday, the last group of 531 fighters were taken prisoner on the factory premises.
The plant was the last piece of the strategically important city in south-eastern Ukraine that had not yet been completely under Russian control. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to President Vladimir Putin about the “complete liberation of the plant and the city of Mariupol”. The industrial zone had been blocked by Russian troops since April 21. The commander of the Azov regiment was taken away in a special armored vehicle.
Previously, the remaining Ukrainian defenders of the Azov Sea Steelworks had announced for the first time that their army command had ordered them to stop defending the city. This was said in a video message by the commander of the controversial national guard regiment “Azov”, Denys Prokopenko. This should protect the life and health of the soldiers in the garrison.
“rescue operation” instead of surrender
The first 264 soldiers surrendered on Monday, including more than 50 seriously injured. According to Russian information, more were taken into captivity on Thursday. The commanders and some fighters had held the position until the end. Altogether it was always assumed that there were around 2,500 Ukrainian fighters in Moscow. The government in Kyiv, on the other hand, had given the number as only 1,000.
To the very end, the Ukrainian leadership also spoke of a “rescue operation” instead of a capitulation and held out the prospect of an imminent exchange of prisoners with Russia. The Azov fighters had repeatedly asked for help from the Ukrainian armed forces. Russia has been waging a war of aggression against its Ukrainian neighbor for almost three months. Mariupol was completely surrounded by Russian troops at the beginning of March and largely destroyed in the heavy fighting.
Source: Nachrichten
