The Ukrainian Azov Brigade stated that “the military command gave the order to stop the defense of Mariupol in order to save the lives of soldiers.”

And the Russian Defense Ministry said yesterday at a daily briefing on the military operation in Ukraine that “over the past 24 hours, 771 militants of the Azov national battalion surrendered at the besieged Azovstal steel plant in the seaside city of Mariupol, explaining that a total of 1,730 militants have surrendered since May 16 , of which 80 were injured.

Earlier, the ministry confirmed that “a ceasefire has been declared in the area of ​​the plant and a humanitarian corridor has been opened, during which wounded Ukrainian soldiers will be transferred to transport them to the city of Novoazovsk, Donetsk region, and provide them with the necessary assistance.”

It is noteworthy that the Russian armed forces called “based on purely humanitarian principles, the fighters of the nationalist battalions and foreign mercenaries at the Azovstal plant to stop hostilities and lay down their arms.”