Russian state media reported that more than a thousand Azovstal defenders had been deported to Russia. They citied law enforcement sources.
“About 1,000 people from Azovstal were sent to Russia. Right-wing organizations are working behind them. In the next hour after the face-to-face bets are held from the low vacancy, the investigation is also planning to send them to Russia,” the agency’s spokesman said.
According to him, there may be more than 100 people in Moscow, «including foreign mercenaries» from Mariupol.
The same source said that other Ukrainian prisoners were also going to be taken to Russia.
There were no confirmations of these words from the Ukrainian authorities.
According to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, over 2,500 Ukrainian soldiers from the Azovstal plant are currently being held captive by Russians. Their dismissal is being handled by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense.
Ukrainian defenders defended Mariupol for more than 80 days. On May 16, their evacuation from the Azovstal metallurgical plant, blocked by the Russian occupation forces, began.
On May 17, Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin allegedly instructed to prepare a ban on the exchange of Azov Regiment fighters leaving Azovstal. Volodymyr’s adviser to the head of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Malyar called this statement «political» and «designed for internal propaganda.»
On May 19, Deputy Regiment Commander Sviatoslav Kalyna Palamar stated that the command of the Azov Regiment still remained on the territory of the Azovstal plant in Mariupol.
At the same time, on May 20, Zelensky announced that the defenders of Mariupol will leave Azovstal in the near future.
For its part, the Red Cross has stated that it will not publish a list of defenders removed from Azovstal, that information held or held by the ICRC will remain confidential and will not be made public.
In early June, 160 bodies were exchanged. Relatives confirmed that these were the dead Azovstal defenders. Ukraine has returned the bodies of 210 soldiers.
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