Russia says 1,000 Ukrainian marines surrendered in Mariupol
The Russian defense ministry says that more than 1,000 Ukrainian marines have surrendered in Mariupol.
The ministry wrote in a statement on Wednesday that 1,026 Ukrainian soldiers in the sieged city “voluntarily laid down arms and surrendered” in response to Russia’s offensive in the area, including 162 officers.
“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 defense ministry said in a statement, according to The Guardian.
Mariupol has been one of Russia’s top targets in its invasion of Ukraine, according to Reuters. The city is located in the eastern Donbas region, which has not been captured by Russian forces.
If Russia seizes control of the Azovstal industrial district, where the marines have been hiding, then Moscow would have complete control of Mariupol, Reuters reported. The city is Ukraine’s principal port for the Sea of Azov.
If the port city comes under Russian control, Moscow would have the ability to bolster a land corridor in the middle of areas in the east that are controlled by separatists and Crimea, according to the news wire. Mariupol would be the first major Ukrainian city to fall to Russia amid its invasion.
Ukraine’s general staff recognized that Russian forces were attacking Azovstal and the port, but a spokesman with the defense ministry said he did not have details regarding a surrender in the region, according to Reuters.
Mariupol has become a closely watched city on the world stage amid the invasion, especially in recent days. On Monday, Ukrainian forces and officials accused Russia of using chemical weapons in the city, which they said caused troops and civilians to develop respiratory issues.
Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko on Monday said more than 10,000 civilians have died in his city amid the invasion.
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