This article was originally published by Tyler Durden at ZeroHedge.
Wounded Ukrainian fighter being transported to Donetsk People’s Republic territory, via Russian news sources.
The more than month-long standoff at Mariupol’s Azovstal steelworks plant is finally over, after for many weeks the siege of the large complex by Russian forces remained the focus of international headlines, and following a series of high-risk civilian evacuations, some of them under the auspices of UN and Red Cross emergency teams.
The remnant hundreds of armed Ukrainian Azov battalion militants which had refused to come out have now surrendered in the Monday night hours. “Reuters saw about a dozen buses apparently carrying Ukrainian fighters leaving the plant on Monday. It was not possible to determine how many people were aboard.”
Widespread reports say that some 300 Ukrainian fighters have laid down their weapons and emerged from the cavernous facility. “More than 260 Ukrainian soldiers were evacuated from the besieged Azovstal steel plant in the port city of Mariupol,” Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Malyar said. Another “53 heavily wounded (soldiers) were evacuated from Azovstal to the medical mortgage near Novoazovsk for medical aid,” according to Malyar’s statement.
Azov issued a statement on Telegram saying they are “implementing the approved decision of the Supreme Military Command” in order to “save lives”.
And the Russian side has since confirmed that “An agreement has been reached on the removal of the wounded,” according to a Russian defense ministry statement. “A humanitarian corridor has been opened through which wounded Ukrainian servicemen are being taken to a medical facility in Novoazovsk.”
Russian media is also widely reporting the surrender at Azovstal, with RT airing some of the first footage of the evacuation of the last fighters to leave…
Surrender at #Azovstal – #Ukraine Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar confirms that 53 wounded #Ukrainian soldiers were taken from #Mariupol's Azovstal steel plant to the hospital in #Novoazovsk, another 211 people were taken to #Yelenovka – both cities in the #DPR. Total 264. pic.twitter.com/XzYNCInwAA
— tim anderson (@timand2037) May 16, 2022
The Moscow Times is quoting confirmation from Ukraine’s president – who is applauding the safe surrender:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said “we hope to save the lives of our boys.”
“I want to underline: Ukraine needs its Ukrainian heroes alive. This is our principle,” he said in a video statement.
Crucially, Novoazovsk – where the wounded Ukrainian fighters are being taken – is in Russian-controlled territory about 40km east of Mariupol. The surrendered troops are reportedly now in the custody of the pro-Moscow Donetsk People’s Republic. Likely Kiev will seek to negotiate their return for captured Russians currently in Ukrainian military custody.
Azov battalion, which has long been widely acknowledged even in prior mainstream media reporting as a neo-Nazi group, is asking the Ukrainian public for continued “support” – given this surrender (after previously vowing multiple to times to ‘fight till the end’) will likely be viewed by some as premature capitulation. During the long siege, all that were stuck in the facility had been running out of food, supplies, and ammunition as Russian forces had them completely surrounded. Last month President Putin is said to have ordered the military to simply wait them out, as opposed to what would have likely been a high death toll operation to enter the underground complex beneath the huge plant.
This is a victory Putin badly needed, mostly for propaganda purposes rather than strategic ones.
But it doesn’t change the reality that all his military might cannot effectively defeat even the capabilities of the Ukraine, something I’m sure he will be forced to consider in his future plans.
FWIW, siege warfare always goes in favor of the side with the most resources to draw on and sustain it, keep yourself out of a siege unless you are sure you are that side.
You are very delusional, if you believe Russia have no real military power.
Ukraine army is almost completely destroyed; even the west continously supply weapons and inteligence, Ukraine is being smashed. Russia is suffering losses and that reality is cristal clear as is the nature of war, but Ukraine have no choice to win this war, absolutely none.
The Russians say 900. Mark Levin on his talk show Monday said prisoners were being sent over the border on trains. Yes, he used the term “second Holocaust.”
The Russians will savour this one victory in a war that has been a total sh#t show.
The Russians will soon have to call up a fresh crop of conscripts to go fight in Ukraine. Do you really think they are going to be excited about that? This is basically America circa post Tet Offensive military. While the US was winning in Vietnam and could kick the North Vietnamese’ butts, morale back in the US sank and support for the war cratered.
Ukraine’s Nazis, on the other hand, are heavily motivated. They have everything to gain. The longer they hold out the more money and weapons they get. They also have NATO and the US on their side.
Think of this war as the epitome of white privilege: hot Nazi-on-Nazi action. If it was really a war for freedom wouldn’t BLM be sending over black volunteers to fight it? That lack of interest from BLM tells you everything you need to know.
The war is effectively over.
600+ Azov nazis have surrendered from the steel mill catacombs. There are possibly 400 more remaining that the Russians will wait out (or not). This will kill the morale of the rest of the Ukrainian forces. The Azov battalion was supposedly the cream of the crop and now the rat nest has been seized and the rats fumigated out of their hole. They will be put on trial for 8 years of war crimes in the DPR…not in Russia. Russia has no death penalty, but the DPR still does.
I5,000 Ukrainian soldiers are trapped in a cauldron in Severodonetsk and will likely surrender in a few days.
Sure, there will be more battles, but the Ukrainian military’s back has been broken. Russia will continue to pick off the west’s deliveries of arms and ammunition and the Ukros will run out of supplies and fuel.
JRS – I agree, there may still be some set backs for the Russians but there is no doubt Russia should achieve their goals. The provinces in Donbass, which is fully under Russian control (actually Russian protectorates now) are linked all the way to Crimea now that Mariupol is in Russian hands. The gov’t and the MSM wants us to believe the Russians are simply going to quit and walk away from Ukraine, not a chance. The fact of the matter is the Russians have the total strategic initiative. By the way, how many people are aware there are hundreds of ex US military personnel presently fighting for Russia in Ukraine. The MSM for some reason has omitted reporting that fact because it would expose the myth 100% of Americans support Ukraine. I can tell you the majority sentiment in my area is against the US getting involved and I suspect it’s the same everywhere. Some will now say I’m a Putin puppet for reporting the facts. I am not for Russia or anyone else. We have too many problems and too many needs in our country to get involved in Ukraine.
I’m waiting for more propaganda like Russians are torturing and murdering prisoners.
Russians executing wounded Ukrainians from the steel plans kinda crap.
Russians having group sex with the wounded.
Russians not playing cards fairly, they are cheating.
Russians having a party and ukrainians are not allowed.
The propaganda is so damn thick, stupid and constant.
Russians are winning slowly and they should.
“Russians not playing cards fairly, they are cheating.”
There is no cheating in war, the reality of fighting war is winning by using any strategy that works.
H – It has already been reported a few months ago Russian soldiers were going into hospitals killing babies and gassing civilians in cities. You are right, the propaganda is so juvenile, so amateurish. If the facts aren’t on your side then lie and make the lies appeal on an emotional level.
Can you fight without passion? Can you kill without anger?
Emotions are the driving force of war.