Soldiers From Azovstal Sent To Donetsk Prison Colony, Moscow Says

More than 900 Ukrainian troops who were at Mariupol's besieged Azovstal steel plant have been sent to a prison colony in Russian-controlled territory, Moscow has said, as their fate remains uncertain.

- Pjotr Sauer

A foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, said yesterday that of the 959 Ukrainian service personnel who had surrendered since Tuesday, 51 were being treated for their injuries and the rest had been sent to the town of Olenivka in the Donetsk region.

Russia's defence ministry also released videos of what it said were Ukrainian fighters receiving hospital treatment in the Russian-controlled town of Novoazovsk after surrendering at Azovstal.

In the videos a group of men were shown lying on beds in a room, and two spoke briefly to the camera. In one, a soldier said he was being treated "normally", adding that he was not being psychologically pressured. It was not possible to establish if the soldier was speaking freely.

Zakharova told journalists that all the wounded soldiers "will be provided with qualified medical care".

Ukraine has not commented on Russia's latest update. In his address to the nation late on Tuesday, the president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said an "evacuation mission" was continuing with help from "the most influential international mediators". It is not clear how many remain inside the plant.