For weeks, Ukrainian fighters inside the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol fought Russian advances, allowing civilians to retreat during rare breaks in the near-constant bombardment.
On Friday, Russia claimed the last fighters had surrendered, putting the steelworks and the city under Russian control. Ukraine has not confirmed this claim, and the CNN cannot independently verify the number of Ukrainian forces left inside the plant.
But videos posted online appear to show the remaining fighters leaving the steelworks, a day after a Ukrainian commander issued a video message ordering soldiers to preserve their lives and end their defense of Mariupol.
Those who withdrew are now prisoners of war in the self-declared People’s Republic of Donetsk – and some of their families are finally starting to hear from their loved ones.
“My husband wrote me two days ago. The situation is really difficult and horrible,” said Natalia Zarytska, whose husband was among the fighters in Azovstal. “My husband is on his way from one hell to another hell.”
Mariupol has been under siege for nearly three months, with much of the southern port city under Russian occupation since mid-April. The last Ukrainian fighters have been holed up inside the steelworks ever since, alongside up to 1,000 civilians fleeing the fighting. Civilian withdrawals began on May 1.
Source: CNN Brasil
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