The 82-day siege of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol appears to be coming to an end after hundreds of Ukrainian troops were evacuated from the facility on Monday as the government of Ukraine works to evacuate the remaining defenders.
Hundreds of Ukrainian fighters defending the last holdout in Mariupol were evacuated to areas controlled by Russian-backed separatists and officials worked Tuesday to get the rest out, signaling the beginning of the end of a siege that became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance.
Ukrainian forces have completed their "combat mission" in Mariupol, according to a statement by the country's military, bringing the months-long battle for the besieged city close to an end.
The evacuations came as Moscow suffered another diplomatic setback, with Sweden joining Finland in deciding to seek NATO membership. Meanwhile, Russian forces pounded targets in the industrial heartland of eastern Ukraine known as the Donbas.
The fall of Mariupol appears at hand as Ukraine is moving to abandon a sprawling steel plant where its soldiers had held out under relentless bombardment for months, which would make it the biggest city to fall into Russian hands.
Hundreds of Ukrainian fighters, including wounded men carried out on stretchers, left the vast steel plant in Mariupol where they mounted a dogged last stand and turned themselves over to Russian hands, signaling the beginning of the end of a siege that became a symbol of Ukraine's resistance to Mos…
Ukraine's president says the evacuation to separatist-controlled territory was needed to save "Ukrainian heroes" after weeks of bombardment. Russia calls it a surrender.
By Tim Lister, Taras Zadorozhnyy, Victoria Butenko and Jack Guy, CNN Ukrainian forces have completed their “combat mission” in the besieged city of Mariupol, according to a statement by the country’s military.
Ukrainian forces have completed their "combat mission" in Mariupol, according to the country's military. It comes after hundreds of people were evacuated from a steel plant that was the last holdout in the city. Follow here for live news updates.
Ukrainian forces have completed their "combat mission" in Mariupol, according to the country's military. It comes after hundreds of people were evacuated from a steel plant that was the last holdout in the city. Follow here for live news updates.
Ukraine and Russia have reached agreement on the evacuation of hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers from the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol. Around 600 members of the so-called Azov Regiment have been trapped there for weeks.
KYIV, Ukraine -- More than 260 Ukrainian fighters, including some who are badly wounded, were evacuated Monday from a steel plant in the ruined city of Mariupol and taken to areas under Russia's control, the Ukrainian military said.
Ukraine's military said on Tuesday it was working to evacuate all remaining troops from their last stronghold in the besieged port of Mariupol, ceding control of the city to Russia after months of bombardment.…
More than 260 fighters — some of them seriously wounded and taken out on stretchers — left the ruins of the Azovstal plant on Monday and turned themselves over to the Russian side in a deal reached by the two warring parties.
