Jakarta –
Authority Russia mention hundreds of soldiers Ukraine who fought against Russian troops at the Azovstal steel mill, in the city Mariupol the beleaguered, had surrendered. The Ukrainian government also requested an immediate prisoner exchange with Russia.
Reported from the news agency AFP, Wednesday (18/5/2022), the strategic port city fell to Russian forces last month, but tireless Ukrainian military units persisted in the maze of tunnels beneath the Azovstal factory. They were also hailed as heroes for fighting to stop the invasion of Moscow.
Ministry of Defense Russia stated on Tuesday (17/5), that 265 Ukrainian army surrendered and were taken into Russian custody, including 51 people who were seriously injured.
Ministry Russia it published photographs showing soldiers being carried on stretchers. It said those injured were transported to a hospital in the eastern Donetsk region controlled by pro-Russian rebels.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense said it expected “exchange procedures… to repatriate these Ukrainian heroes as soon as possible”.
The ministry said the Ukrainian government would do “everything necessary” to rescue an undisclosed number of personnel still hiding in the Soviet-era bunker. However, the ministry acknowledged no military option was available.
The fate of the captured Ukrainian soldiers is unclear. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to say whether they would be treated as criminals or prisoners of war.
Peskov only said President Vladimir Putin “guarantees that they will be treated in accordance with relevant international law.”
Watch the video ‘Expressions of Ukrainian Soldiers After Enduring 82 Days in Mariupol’:
(it/it)
–
