Russian Armed Forces destroy Ukrainian weapons sent by US, West
Following the Russian Armed Forces' complete control of the Azovstal steel manufacturing plant in Mariupol, Russian media agencies report the surrender of the most prominent leaders in Azovstal.
The Russian Armed Forces destroyed a huge batch of weapons and military equipment that were sent by the USA and European countries to Ukrainian troops in Zhytomir Region, near the Malin railway station, with high-precision, long-range sea-based Kalibr missiles.
Air-based Russian missiles ruined the fuel storage for the Ukrainian nationalists' armored vehicles near Odessa.
Operational-tactical and army aviation hit 47 areas of AFU manpower and military equipment concentration, 4 command posts, and 1 ammunition depot near Drobyshevo.
Russian air defense units downed another Ukrainian Air Force Su-25 aircraft in Kherson Region, near Novoaleksandrovka.
Missile troops and artillery have hit 602 areas of AFU troop and military equipment concentration, including 1 training camp for AFU special operations forces with personnel near Lake Sasik in Odessa Region, 10 ammunition depots, 77 command posts, 43 artillery and mortar units at firing positions, 2 MLRS Grad batteries, and 1 Buk-M1 anti-aircraft system launcher in Kharkov Region, near Mayaki.
The Russian Army also destroyed some 315 anti-aircraft missile systems, 174 Ukrainian aircraft and 125 helicopters, 402 multiple launch rocket systems, 966 unmanned aerial vehicles, 3,182 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,614 field artillery and mortars, and 3,054 units of special military vehicles since the start of the operation.
Following the Russian Defense Ministry Spokesperson's announcement on Friday that the Russian Armed Forces seized the Azovstal steel manufacturing plant in Mariupol, media agencies reported that two of the most prominent leaders have surrendered, including Svyatoslav Palamar, the deputy commander of Azov Battalion, and Sergei Volynsky, commander of the 36th brigade of the Ukrainian marines.
Russian telegram channels released a video showing the latter, saying, "My men are all here with me,” announcing the surrender.
Russian forces capture Mariupol Azovstal steel plant: Moscow
Yesterday, the Russian Armed Forces seized the Azovstal steel manufacturing plant in Mariupol, according to Russian Defense Ministry Spokesperson Major General Igor Konashenkov, revealing that Moscow now has full control of the plant, including its underground facilities.
"The territory of the Azovstal metallurgical plant in Mariupol, where a group of Ukrainian militants from Nazi formation Azov has been blocked since April 21 this year, has been completely liberated," Konashenkov told a briefing. The militants were mainly hiding in the plant's underground facilities.
2,439 Azov militants and Ukrainian soldiers have laid down their arms and surrendered since May 16, the spokesperson added.
The Russian military had reported Thursday that 771 Ukrainian militants from the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion, who had been locked in the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol over the past week due to a Russian-imposed siege on the area, surrendered. This brought up the total number of Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered that week at the plant to 1,730, but with the operation ending today, the number increased significantly.
Despite the combatants surrendering unconditionally to the Donetsk people's forces and Russian military, Kiev continues to be disconnected from reality claiming that the ongoing surrender is a mass rescue operation, as it refused to comment on such news that would endanger the efforts of the rescue.
Denis Pushilin, head of the Donetsk People's Republic, which now includes the city of Mariupol, said more than half the fighters had surrendered and that the uninjured had been taken to a prison area near Donetsk to receive treatment.