Russia Says Nearly 2,000 Mariupol Fighters Surrendered

Since Monday, 1908 Ukrainian fighters holed up in the Azovstal factory in Marieopol have surrendered, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu said. A day earlier, according to Moscow, the number stood at 1730.

According to the minister, 177 civilians, including 85 women and 47 children, have also been removed from the complex, TASS news agency reported. The information could not be independently verified.

Ukraine prefers to talk about evacuations and does not say how many people are left at the industrial complex. Presidential adviser Mikhail Podoljak speaks of “very difficult, very fragile” talks with Russia. He reiterated that Ukrainians should remain silent about the operation until it is completed.

If so, Russia controls a significant part of eastern Ukraine. Mariupol is located in the southeastern region of Donetsk where Ukrainians are holding out in several places. But the Luhansk region is almost entirely in the hands of Russian forces, according to Shoygu. In both regions, pro-Russian separatists have established self-proclaimed republics. Kyiv says the Russian offensive is not very successful.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been registering the hundreds of Ukrainian prisoners of war who have left the Azovstal complex since Tuesday.