Hundreds of Ukrainian troops defending the Azovstal steel plant have surrendered to an uncertain fate as they laid down their arms after Russian forces took control of the steelworks as the battle in Mariupol nears its end.
The situation came after several weeks of desperate resistance and set an end to the most devastating siege of Russia's unprovoked war on Ukraine. Furthermore, it allows President Vladimir Putin to claim a rare victory in his seemingly faltering campaign.
Azovstal Steel Plant Surrender
But even with the Kremlin preparing to take full control of the ruins of Mariupol, its military is facing the growing prospect of defeat. This comes amid its bid to conquer all of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. Badly mauled forces bring the situation, and the lack of manpower for significant advances, said some analysts looking into the Russian invasion.
Buses were seen leaving the Azovstal steelworks late on Monday in a convoy that was escorted by Russian armored vehicles. Five of the buses arrived in the Russian-held town of Novoazovsk, an area where Moscow said that the wounded were being treated, as per Reuters.
While the fate of the Ukrainian troops that surrendered remains unclear, Putin personally guaranteed the prisoners would be treated according to international standards. Ukrainian officials also said that they could be exchanged for Russian captives.
On Tuesday, some Russian officials said that the prisoners could be tried and even executed depending on their decisions. MPs in Russia's State Duma said they were planning to propose new laws that could derail prisoner exchanges of fighters who Moscow claims are "terrorists."
According to The Guardian, Russian investigators plan to interrogate the captured soldiers and plan to charge them with "crimes committed by the Ukrainian regime against the civilian population in southeast Ukraine."
Russia called the Azovstal operation a mass surrender, while the Ukrainian army said that soldiers protecting the facility had "performed their combat task" and noted that the main goal was now to save their lives from the uncertain fate.
Uncertain Fate of Ukrainian Troops
In a video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the country needs its heroes alive. Hundreds of troops were holed up in a warren of tunnels and bunkers underneath the steelworks for several weeks amid Russian assaults.
Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said that 53 seriously injured people were evacuated from Azovstal to the medical facility in Novoazovsk. She added that another 211 were transported to Olenivka through the humanitarian corridor.
Malyar noted that the defense of Mariupol meant that Russian forces were not able to transfer roughly 20,000 personnel to other regions of Ukraine, causing the failure to capture Zaporizhzhia. On Tuesday, the official added that evacuation was the only way for Azovstal's defenders to be rescued.
On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russian President Putin had allowed both civilians and the military to leave Azovstal after the troops laid down their weapons. Zelensky thanked the Ukrainian military and negotiators, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the United Nations in a statement on Monday, CNN reported.
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