1,026 Ukraine troops surrender in Mariupol: Russia

The Russian Defence Ministry claimed Wednesday some 1,000 Ukrainian troops had surrendered in the besieged southeastern port of Mariupol.

Spokesman Igor Konashenkov said 1,026 soldiers from the Ukrainian 36th Marine Brigade surrendered at a metal plant in the city.

Konashenkov said the Ukrainian forces who conceded included 162 officers and 47 female personnel, and that 151 wounded received medical treatment.

Also Watch: Russia-Ukraine war: how nuns in a small village are helping the displaced

Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych did not comment on the alleged mass surrender, but said in a post on Twitter that elements of the 36th Marine Brigade had managed to link up with other Ukrainian forces in the city as a result of a “risky maneuver.”

Russian forces moved on Mariupol in late February and units in the city have been running low on supplies.