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Vladimir Putin file photo
The Russian Ministry of Defense has reported the total withdrawal of the Ukrainian Army from the plant Steel factory of Azovstal, in Mariúpol, which certifies the capture of the city by Moscow.
Previously the Azov Battalion, a paramilitary organization that fights in support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, he had ordered “stop defending”the city, which implies the surrender of Azovsta, a symbol of the resistance in the area.
Thus, the person in charge of the Defense portfolio, Sergei Shoigu, has informed the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, of the “completion of the operation and the liberation of the plant and the city of Mariúpol”, according to the Russian agency Interfax.
In this sense, the Ministry of Defense has insisted that the underground facilities of Azovstal, refuge of the Ukrainian resistance, have been cleared and are already under the control of the Russian Army.
He has pointed out that the paramilitaries of the Azov Battalion have been expelled from the area aboard armored vehicles due to the “hatred of the residents of Mariupol and the desire of the townspeople to punish them for their numerous atrocities.” .
Previously, Minister Shoigu had claimed that his troops have “rescued” 177 civilians and captured 1,908 “nationalists” who “have laid down their arms,” according to the TASS news agency.
The Committee International Red Cross (ICRC) called for on Thursday an “immediate” These prisoners, from whom he also tries to collect data. The Ukrainian authorities, for their part, maintain their interest in making a future prisoner exchange with the soldiers who are captured after leaving the steel mill.