900+ Azov militants surrender in Mariupol

Around 900 Ukrainian militants from the Azov neo-Nazi battalion have surrendered at the Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol since May 16, according to Russian defense ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov.

"Militants of the nationalist Azov battalion and Ukrainian soldiers blocked at the Azovstal plant in Mariupol continued to surrender. Over the past day, 694 militants surrendered, including 29 injured," Konashenkov told reporters.  

Since Monday, 962 militants have surrendered, including 80 injured, of which 51 were admitted to a medical facility in Novoazovsk in the Donetsk People's Republic, he added.

Earlier, Russia's Ministry of Justice announced that the Supreme Court of Russia will consider on May 26 recognizing the Ukrainian Azov regiment as a terrorist organization.

The Ministry’s website posted, "The Russian Ministry of Justice informs that the administrative case related to recognizing the Ukrainian paramilitary national association Azov as a terrorist organization and prohibiting its activities on Russian territories, is scheduled to be considered on May 26, at the Russian Supreme Court."

The same day, Kiev claimed that its troops have prevented Russian forces from operating in other locations, adding that along with the Azov Neo-Nazi battalion, its forces had “prevented the implementation of the [Russian] plan for the quick capture of Zaporozhye, and did not allow access to the administrative border of the Donetsk and Zaporozhye regions.”