Ukraine orders Azovstal steel plant soldiers to stop defending Mariupol

A day after Russia’s defence minister confirmed the surrender of at least 1,908 Ukrainian fighters who had been holed up at the Azovstal steelworks, Denys Prokopenko, commander of the Azov Regiment, said the Ukrainian defence ministry has ordered to stop the fighting in order to save lives. Prokopenko said that he has received an order to “cease the defence of the city.” The intention is to “save lives and health of the servicemen of the garrison,” he said. It is important to note that a group of Ukrainian fighters from various military and law enforcement units had been deployed in Azovstal steelworks, the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in the port city of Mariupol. Initially, the Russian Defence Ministry claimed that nearly 250 soldiers surrendered on Wednesday. However, the Russian ministry inflated the number to 1,908 on Friday.

"Nationalists blocked off at the plant started to surrender. As of now, 1,908 people have laid down arms," Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was quoted by the Russian media as saying Friday.

Though Russia has been bolstering the claims, it is still unclear how many Ukrainian soldiers have been under the grip of Russia. Meanwhile, speaking in a video statement released on Telegram, Prokopenko also said that “the seriously wounded received the necessary assistance and they were able to be evacuated with further exchange and delivery to the territory controlled by Ukraine.” Further, he said only those who were killed in the war, were still in the plant. The commander said he hopes the families of those killed in the ongoing war will be able to bury their fighters with full honours. 

Fate of soldiers who surrender stuck in limbo

It is worth mentioning the fate of those surrendered is still stuck in limbo despite the international call on Russia to release the Prisoner of Wars (PoW). The International Committee of the Red Cross gathered personal information from hundreds of the soldiers — name, date of birth, closest relative — and registered them as prisoners of war, as part of its role in ensuring the humane treatment of POWs under the Geneva Conventions. Amnesty International said in a tweet that the Ukrainian soldiers are now prisoners of war and as such “must not be subjected to any form of torture or ill-treatment.”

(With inputs from AP0