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AssetID: 51538534

Headline: Ukrainian Defenders Lay Down Their Arms After 82 Day Battle Over Mariupol's Azovstal Steelworks

Caption: VIDEO AVAILABLE: CONTACT INFO@COVERMG.COM This footage, released by the Russian Ministry of Defence and shared by Mariupol City Council officials, shows the surrender of defenders from Ukraine’s Azov Regiment on Tuesday (17May2022). The soldiers had held out from Russian attacks in Mariupol’s Azovstal steelworks for 82 days before obeying an order from Ukrainian military leaders to lay down their arms following an agreement to evacuate and treat the wounded. According to Ukraine’s Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar, 53 seriously wounded servicemen have been evacuated since the agreement to lay down arms on Monday. Russian sources put the number of seriously wounded at 51, claiming 265 soldiers had surrendered in total. The most badly wounded have reportedly been taken to the Russian controlled town of Novoazovsk, 30 miles East of Mariupol, for treatment, while the others are being taken to Olenivka, 55 miles North. Ukrainian officials have stated they plan to exchange the Azovstal defenders for Russian prisoners of war - though no official agreement is yet in place. The fighters have held out despite heavy Russian bombardment of the plant, utilising its basements and bunkers. However, in recent weeks their situation had become more desperate due to a lack of food, medical supplies and ammunition. "We hope that we will be able to save the lives of our guys," Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a late night speech addressing the evacuation. "There are severely wounded ones among them. They're receiving care. Ukraine needs Ukrainian heroes alive." Ukraine's military said it had "ordered the commanders of the units stationed at Azovstal to save the lives of the personnel" as the troops there had fulfilled their mission in holding down Russian troops while forces in other parts of the country regrouped and received military supplies from the United States and other allied countries in Europe. The evacuation seems to bring to an end the bloodiest episode of Russia’s war in Ukraine war to date. The city of Mariupol has been left in ruins, with tens of thousands of its citizens believed dead.

Keywords: Azov Regiment,Azovstal,steelworks,Russia,Ukraine,war,defenders,Putin,Zelensky,Mariupol

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