A Archyde.com witness said regarding a dozen buses carrying Ukrainian soldiers who were holed up at the Azovstal steel plant in southeastern Ukraine, which is besieged by Russia, left the plant on Monday.
It was not possible to determine how many soldiers were on the buses. It was also not clear if they were all among the 40 wounded Ukrainian fighters who were said to have been under the plant. About 600 soldiers are said to be inside.
Pictures from the transfer and exit of soldiers
Another witness reported that Ukrainian soldiers who were evacuated from the besieged Azovstal steel plant arrived late Monday in the city of Novoazovsk.
The witness added that some of the evacuees were taken from buses on stretchers.
Novoazovsk is now under the control of Russian-backed separatists who have controlled parts of eastern Ukraine since 2014.
In addition, Mariupol Mayor Vadim Boychenko announced on Monday the killing of 15 women from the army and health sector at the Azovstal steel plant in the Ukrainian city.
“This is a tragedy for the entire Ukrainian people,” Boychenko was quoted as saying by the Ukrainian news agency.
He added that city council members called on the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on Saturday to “use all available means at the international level to rescue the Ukrainian fighters who are besieged in the factory.”
