Nearly 1,000 fighters leave Azovstal and surrender to Russian forces

As many as 694 soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) left the territory of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol and surrendered to the Russian military in the last 24 hours, Major General Igor Konashenkov, an official representative of the Russian Defense Ministry told journalists.

According to him, 29 of the surrendered fighters were wounded.

Since May 16, 959 Ukrainian soldiers have surrendered, including 80 wounded, Konashenkov added. Fifty-one men were hospitalised in the town of Novoazovsk in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR).

On May 17, the Ministry of Defense showed a video of the surrender of AFU soldiers from the territory of Azovstal. According to the ministry, 265 Ukrainian soldiers came out of the Azovstal bunkers and laid down their weapons. Fifty-one of them were seriously wounded.

On May 16, the Ministry of Defense announced that an agreement was reached with the Armed Forces of Ukraine to evacuate the wounded from the Azovstal steel plant. Afterwards, a humanitarian corridor was opened in the area of ​​the enterprise and a ceasefire was implemented.