Azovstal Steelworks, Mariupol, Ukraine. Nearly a thousand Ukrainian soldiers have left the besieged Azovstal steelworks, Russia said, marking the end of a long and fierce battle for Mariupol. Ukrainian forces have been holed up in the underground complex for more than 80 days, staging the southeastern city’s final stand and preventing approximately 20,000 Russian troops from being deployed elsewhere. The Russian Defense Ministry said 959 Ukrainians surrendered, 80 of them wounded. It is unclear how many Ukrainian troops remain in Azovstal, but the reported scale of the surrender appears to confirm Russia’s capture of Mariupol. Ukraine has refused to acknowledge its surrender, saying instead that its combat mission was over.
