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Headline: More Ukrainian Defenders Evacuate Azovstal Steelworks After 82 Day Siege

Caption: VIDEO AVAILABLE: CONTACT INFO@COVERMG.COM This footage, released by the Russia’s Ministry of Defence shows the surrender of more defenders leaving Mariupol’s Azovstal steelworks on Wednesday (18May2022). According to Russian officials a total of 959 soldiers have surrendered since 16 May, including 80 wounded, of whom 51 needed hospital treatment in Novoazovsk hospital. The soldiers had held out from Russian attacks in the 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. 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 earlier this week. "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 marked 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: azovstal, mariupol, ukraine, war, russia, azov, defenders, siege

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