Ukrainian forces have finally surrendered to Russia in the long-standing siege of Azovstal in Mariupol. Despite the mass surrender of his forces, the defeated Ukrainian regime is calling it a “mission accomplished.”
The Surrender of Ukraine in Mariupol
Metro Philly reported that than 250 Ukrainian fighters surrendered after hiding in Mariupol’s Azovstal steel works during several weeks of siege by the Russian forces. The story tells that Ukraine’s decision to surrender came in the early hours of Tuesday (May 17, 2022).
Ukraine’s military command had said in the early hours of Tuesday that the mission to defend the steel plant was over.
Ukrainian dictator Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a video statement part of which was tweeted by Reuters. Zelenskyy said that Ukraine needs its heroes alive.
‘Ukraine needs Ukrainian heroes alive. This is our principle,’ President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said as the military command announced the end of the mission to defend the besieged Azovstal steel plant https://t.co/zl7DvkOm2F pic.twitter.com/xbt4x8VX6B
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 17, 2022
The besieged Ukrainian forces in Mariupol mainly comprised neo-Nazi Azov battalion fighters and Russia Today mention it in their story about the Ukrainian surrender. RT wrote that the Ukrainian side is avoiding the use of the word “surrender.” It added:
After the last Ukrainian soldier leaves Azovstal, the battle for Mariupol will be effectively over and Russia will have gained total control of the strategically vital city.
The Ukrainian forces who surrendered have been taken to treatment to medical facilities at Novoazovsk in Donetsk region, which is under Russian control. President Putin of Russia has assured that the captured Ukrainian forces will be treated according to international standards. Ukraine is hoping to bring them home in a prisoner-exchange scenario.
The Story in Pro-Ukraine Media
In the pro-Ukrainian media, however, Ukraine seemingly continues to win. Time claimed that the Ukrainian forces have made military advances against Russia in recent days.
Russia has been plagued by setbacks in the war, most glaringly in its failure early on to take the capital of Kyiv.
The mainstream left-leaning news source Associated Press wrote that this surrender of Ukrainians “would give Russia its biggest victory yet after multiple setbacks” without providing evidence of the setbacks it claimed in the story.