Russia claims its troops 'completely liberated' besieged Azovstal plant in Mariupol

Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, Moscow on Friday claimed that its soldiers had "completely liberated" Mariupol port city’s embattled Azovstal steel plant. According to a CNN report, Major General Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Defence, declared in a statement that the "last group of 531 militants have surrendered," indicating to Ukrainian forces who had been fighting the Russian assault on the facility for many weeks. 

The statement comes after Lieutenant Colonel Denys Prokopenko, the Ukrainian commander of the Azov Regiment, had earlier given the order to cease defending Mariupol city. He had also released a short video message from inside the Azovstal steel plant, asserting that the top military leadership of the war-torn nation had "issued an order to preserve the garrison soldiers' life and health and stop defending the city." 

According to Konashenkov, the commander of the Azov Regiment was taken out of the steel plant's premises in a special armoured car. Meanwhile, the surviving Azov soldiers appeared to march out of the steel factory in a new video that has been shared online. 

Russia announced surrender of nearly 1,908 Ukrainian forces stuck at the Azovstal steel plant

Denys Prokopenko had claimed that the Ukrainian defence ministry had ordered to cease the battle in order to preserve lives a day after Russia's defence minister announced the surrender of nearly 1,908 Ukrainian forces cooped up at the Azovstal steel plant. According to Prokopenko, he has been ordered to stop the defence of the city. As per media reports, he stated that the goal is to save the lives and the health of the garrison's soldiers. 

It is pertinent to note that a squad of Ukrainian soldiers from various military and law enforcement forces had been positioned in the Azovstal steel plant, the final stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in Mariupol's coastal city. Earlier, the Russian Defence Ministry stated that roughly 250 servicemen had surrendered on Wednesday. But, on Friday, the Russian government revised the figure to 1,908 individuals. 

Meanwhile, Prokopenko had noted in a video message posted on Telegram that "the seriously wounded" soldiers received the appropriate help and were able to be removed with further exchange and delivery to the Ukraine-controlled areas. He even highlighted that only those who died in the conflict remained in the factory. The commander expressed his hope that the families of those killed in the current conflict will be allowed to properly bury their loved ones. 

(Image: AP)