More than 1,000 Ukrainian marines surrender in Mariupol, Russia claims – National | Globalnews.ca

Russia’s defence ministry said on Wednesday that 1,026 soldiers of Ukraine’s 36th Marine Brigade, including 162 officers, had surrendered in the besieged Ukrainian port city of Mariupol.

Mariupol, which has been encircled by Russian troops for weeks, has seen the fiercest fighting and the most comprehensive destruction since Russia invaded on Feb. 24.

Read more:

21K Mariupol civilians dead since start of Russian invasion, mayor says

The main Sea of Azov port is the biggest target in the eastern Donbas region that Moscow now calls the focus of its campaign, and if captured would be the first major city to fall since the war began.

Its capture would help secure a land passage between separatist-held eastern areas and Crimea which Russia seized and annexed in 2014.

Story continues below advertisement

“In the town of Mariupol, near the Ilyich Iron and Steel Works, as a result of successful offensives by Russian armed forces and Donetsk People’s Republic militia units, 1,026 Ukrainian soldiers of the 36th Marine Brigade voluntarily laid down arms and surrendered,” the ministry said in a statement.


Maxar satellite imagery of buildings on fire in western Mariupol on April 9.


Satellite image (c) 2022 Maxar Technologies.

Reuters could not independently confirm the surrender. Ukrainian defence ministry spokesperson Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said he had no information about it, and there was no immediate comment from the Ukrainian president’s office or the Ukrainian general staff.

On Monday, a post on the Ukrainian marine brigade’s Facebook page had said the unit was preparing for a final battle in Mariupol that would end in death or capture as its troops had run out of ammunition.

“Today will probably be the ultimate battle, as there is no ammo left,” said the post. “Beyond that: hand to hand fighting. Beyond that, for some death, for others capture.”

Story continues below advertisement


Click to play video: 'More international aid coming as Ukraine braces for next major Russian assault'







More international aid coming as Ukraine braces for next major Russian assault


More international aid coming as Ukraine braces for next major Russian assault

Some Ukrainian officials said at the time that the post may have been fake, and that troops were still holding out.

The Russian defence ministry said 151 wounded Ukrainian soldiers were treated on the spot and taken to Mariupol’s city hospital.

Earlier on Wednesday, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who says his forces are playing a major role in Russia’s battle for Mariupol, said more than 1,000 Ukrainian marines had surrendered. He urged remaining forces holed up in the Azovstal steel mill to surrender.

Reuters journalists accompanying Russian-backed separatists in Mariupol on Tuesday saw flames rising from the Azovstal complex.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Peter Graff)

For all the latest world News Click Here 

Read original article here

Denial of responsibility! TechAI is an automatic aggregator around the global media. All the content are available free on Internet. We have just arranged it in one platform for educational purpose only. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, all materials to their authors. If you are the owner of the content and do not want us to publish your materials on our website, please contact us by email – [email protected]. The content will be deleted within 24 hours.