The Kremlin says the Ukrainian soldiers at a giant steel mill in the port of Mariupol are surrendering. The Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday that 959 Ukrainian soldiers had surrendered since Monday. Ukrainian authorities say they ordered the fighters to save their lives and said the mission to tie up Russian forces by defending the Azovstal plant is complete. But they have have avoided describing the action of the ones who left the plant as a surrender. Asked about the conflicting Russian and Ukrainian narratives, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, “There can be just one interpretation: the troops holed up at Azovstal are laying down their weapons and surrendering.”

Source: ABC News May 18, 2022 11:29 UTC