Ukraine war: Russia says more than 1,000 Ukraine marines surrender in Mariupol, Ukraine did not confirm claim
- If true it would be the first major city to fall to Russian forces since they invaded on February 24, but Ukraine says it has no information on such a surrender
- Meanwhile, a Ukrainian report says 720 bodies had been found in the region around the capital region of Kyiv, with more than 200 people missing
More than a thousand Ukrainian marines have surrendered in the besieged Ukrainian port of Mariupol, Russia’s defence ministry said on Wednesday of Moscow’s main target in the eastern Donbas region which it has yet to bring under its control.
If the Russians seize the Azovstal industrial district, where the marines have been holed up, they would be in full control of Mariupol, the linchpin between Russian-held areas to the west and east providing a land corridor for troops and supplies.
It would be the first major city to fall to Russian forces since they invaded Ukraine on February 24.
Ukraine’s general staff said that Russian forces were proceeding with attacks on Azovstal and the port. Ukraine’s defence ministry spokesman said he had no information about any surrender.
Thousands are believed to have been killed under a near-seven week siege of Mariupol and Russia has been massing thousands of troops in the area for a new assault, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Ukraine says tens of thousands of civilians have been trapped inside that city with no way to bring in food or water, and accuses Russia of blocking aid convoys.
Russia’s defence ministry said that 1,026 soldiers of Ukraine’s 36th Marine Brigade surrendered.