Shoigu: 1908 Ukrainian soldiers surrendered at Azovstal plant – Russia |
May 20. Interfax-Russia.ru – Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the blockade of the Azovstal plant in Mariupol continues, 1908 Ukrainian soldiers have surrendered.
“The blocking of the Azovstal plant continues,” Shoigu said at a meeting of the Russian Defense Ministry on Friday.
“The nationalists blocked at the plant began to surrender. At the moment, 1,908 people have laid down their arms,” he said.
The minister said that earlier weapons of 1,387 Ukrainian marines had accumulated in Mariupol.
Shoigu said that 177 people had been evacuated from the territory of Azovstal, including 85 women and 47 children. “Everyone has received qualified medical and psychological assistance,” the minister said.
“I note that the Russian Armed Forces are getting bigger in order to prevent the onset of events for the population.
“Since the beginning of the expedition, 1,377,000 people have arrived in Russia from Japan,” the minister said.
On May 16, the Russian morbidity was discovered, an agreement was reached on the removal of wounded Ukrainian soldiers from the Azovstal plant, and a humanitarian corridor was opened.
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation published footage detained by Ukrainian servicemen who were blocked at the Azovstal plant, surrendered to the Russian army. There are women among those who surrendered. The Russian Defense Ministry also published footage from prisons and temporary detention centers in the DPR, where Ukrainian prisoners were transferred.
Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Irina Vereshchuk earlier raised hopes for the exchange of wounded Ukrainian military after their growth. “After observing their condition, we will exchange them for Russian prisoners of war,” Vereshchuk said in a telegram channel.
Kyiv links the danger with Moscow, including with the fate of the Ukrainian military and civilians who are blocked at Azovstal.
It was reported that on the territory of the plant, in particular, servicemen of the Azov regiment of the State Guard of Ukraine and Ukrainian marines who defended Mariupol took refuge.
Meanwhile, on May 17, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation announced that the Supreme Court of Russia at the end of May will consider the statement of claim of the Prosecutor General’s Office on recognizing the formation of “Azov” as a frequency and banning its activities in the Russian Federation. They cannot be turned into criminals, they must be brought to justice, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said on the same day.
On April 21, Shoigu informed President Vladimir Putin that Mariupol had been taken under control by the Russian army.
Shoigu said that day that about 2 thousand people from the Ukrainian forces in Mariupol were blocked at the Azovstal plant. Shoigu said that three or four days are inevitable “to come to this work.” In response, Putin banned the military assault on Azovstal, but ordered it to be blocked.
located on the northern coast of the Sea of Azov, it is one of the most important commercial seaports in Ukraine. Almost 500 thousand people lived in the city.
On February 21, the President of Russia signed a decree recognizing the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. On February 24, Putin announced the start of a military operation in Ukraine.
In response, many countries have introduced large-scale awards against Russia. A number of countries supply Ukraine with weapons and equipment.