Azovstal: Members of the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion surrender in Mariupol: Russian

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces confirmed on its social media network that their soldiers at the Azovostal Steelworks in Mariupol had been ordered to surrender.

“Garrison ‘Mariupol’ has completed the scheduled combat mission. The Supreme Military Command has issued an order to the commanders of the unit located in Azovstal to save the lives of the personnel, “the Ukrainian military statement said. According to Kiev, while stationed at Azovstal, his troops “prevented” Russian troops from working in other theaters, Russia Today reported.

Kyiv claims that Azov neo-Nazis and members of its regular forces “prevented (the so-called Russian) Zaporozhye from carrying out a quick occupation plan and did not allow access to the administrative border between Donetsk and Zaporozhye. The region.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says they need “beauty and time” to return.

“Thanks to the Ukrainian armed forces, the intelligence, as well as the negotiating team, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations, we hope that we will be able to save the lives of our boys.” I would like to emphasize that Ukraine needs surviving Ukrainian heroes. This is our policy. I think every adequate person will understand these words. To bring our military back to the country, work continues and this work requires precision and time, ”he said.

According to Russia Today, a large part of them are members of the neo-Nazi Azov Regiment. The group’s military uniforms were tattooed with Nazi symbols and its members as swastikas. Its first commander, Andrei Biletsky, said he believed Ukraine’s goal was to “lead the world’s whites in a final crusade …” [inferior humans]”

The first phase of the surrender was completed on Monday – 264 troops left Azvastal. According to Russia Today, there are now 53 wounded soldiers in a hospital in Novorossiysk and 211 in Yellenovka, both of which are part of the Donetsk People’s Republic.

Russian sources estimate that about 2,200 people are trapped in the basement of the huge Azovstal complex. The site is 11 square kilometers long and its underground parts are designed to withstand nuclear attack.

According to Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malir and General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, those who surrender will be exchanged for Russian prisoners of war captured by Kyiv. However, the terms of the exchange have not been fixed yet. Moscow has not yet made any public statement about the exchange.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian side has tried to avoid using the term ‘surrender’. After the last Ukrainian troops leave Azovstal, the battle of Mariupol will be effectively ended and Russia will gain full control of the strategically important city, The Russia Today claims.