Guy Faulconbridge

LONDON, (Reuters) – Top-ranking Ukrainian commanders are not yet free from the maze of tunnels and bunkers below Mariupol’s Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol. This was stated Wednesday by the leader of Donetsk, a Russian-backed separatist group.

The most severe siege of Russia’s invasion is nearing its end. Nearly 1000 Ukrainian rebels, who were trapped in tunnels for fear of being attacked by Russian forces, have surrendered to Russian and proRussian forces.

Russia’s defense ministry stated that 694 Ukrainian fighters, including Azov Regit members, surrendered within the previous day. It also reported 29 injuries.

The fate of the commanders was not clear. They could leave or fight one last battle against the Russian forces that they consider to be the occupiers in their homeland.

“There are no commanders of the highest level (among those who surrendered) – they have not left,” said Denis Pushilin, head of the breakaway Donetsk People’s Republic which was officially recognised by President Vladimir Putin just three days before the invasion of Ukraine.

The Donetsk News Agency (also known as DAN) quoted Pushilin as saying, “That’s – so far.”

It wasn’t clear what would happen with the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy describing as brave resistance fighters the combatants who Russian lawmakers called “Nazi criminals”, who Russian lawmakers claimed should receive the most severe punishment and even death.

COURTS

Pushilin claimed that fate for the Ukrainian surrendered fighters would be decided through the courts.

“With regard to war criminals as much as nationalists, their fate should, if the laid down of their arms, be decided by courts,” he stated. If the enemy has given up arms, the courts will determine his fate. A tribunal is created if the Nazi criminal involved in the crime is found guilty.

Moscow believes that Azov Regiment is an anti-Russian paramilitary group which started as an extreme-right Nationalist Paramilitary Organisation.

This unit was created in 2014 to combat Russian-backed separatists. Ukraine denies that it is racist, fascist or neo Nazi.

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia said that a military operation in Ukraine was required to stop the persecution and intimidation of Russian speakers.

Ukraine claims Putin wants to take over the country, and it denies that Kyiv has persecuted Russian speakers.

The Kremlin stated that combatants would be handled in line with international norms. According to Ukraine, there will be an exchange of prisoners of war.

Civilians who lived in bunkers described their miserable conditions. Many of these fighters suffered terrible battle injuries.