Judgment or exchange?
Russia’s deputy representative to the United Nations stated that the Ukrainian soldiers who left the Azovstal area did not present any conditions. This remark followed a report from a major international newspaper about what it described as a completed mission by Ukrainian forces in Mariupol and an evacuation from the Azovstal site, signaling a potential end to the fighting in that area.
In response, the Russian official emphasized that the surrender from that unit was unconditional, noting there are multiple ways to express this in English. The statement was shared with a major publication to reflect the Russian position on the terms of the surrender.
Early in the day, the Russian defense ministry reported that a large group of fighters, including members of the Azov Battalion, surrendered in Azovstal. Among them, a notable portion was seriously injured, and those requiring medical attention were taken to a hospital in Novoazovsk. A convoy of prisoners left Mariupol under armored protection, though the destination remains unknown.
The Ukrainian president expressed determination to pursue the withdrawal of parts of the army from the factory grounds and to ensure the safe return of service members to areas under Kyiv’s control. He also underscored the urgency of saving lives, noting the presence of severely injured personnel who required care and the ongoing effort to bring home civilians, especially children, with careful coordination and time needed for these operations.
From Moscow, a senior state figure commented on the possibility of changing the stance on detainee exchanges, arguing that Nazi criminals should not be part of any trade. The official added that, unlike the treatment of prisoners by their opponents, the Russian side would ensure humane medical care for wounded servicemen and would continue to commit to humane handling of those who surrender or are captured in the broader conflict. For those aligned with the Nazis, he suggested that the policy against exchanges would stay as a stated objective of the ongoing operation.
A representative of the LDPR proposed an exception to the current moratorium on the death penalty for Azov fighters, arguing that if culpability for egregious crimes against humanity is proven, it should be possible to pursue capital punishment under Russian law. The proposal was shared via a messaging platform, reflecting ongoing debate over legal options for those involved in the conflict.
The Russian Ministry of Justice announced that the Supreme Court would review the needs of the Prosecutor General’s Office to determine whether the Ukrainian regiment Azov should be designated as a terrorist organization and whether its activities should be banned within Russia. A formal hearing on the matter was scheduled to proceed at the Supreme Court, following ongoing court processes related to Azovstal personnel and the broader classification of the unit.
Recent civilian evacuations from the Azovstal complex included a first group of around one hundred people transferred to a city in the region of Zaporozhye. A subsequent group, comprising women, children, and the elderly, followed, with additional evacuations reported during the early days of the month. The defense ministry provided periodic tallies of those evacuated, including counts of men, women, and children leaving the site during a multi-day window of operations.