The missing were sent to their comrades
During a live broadcast, Pushilin reported that several individuals labeled as missing had been located within the Azovstal complex. He stated that they were then sent back to their comrades. The head of the Donetsk People’s Republic noted that three or four additional people were captured in this process.
In a separate briefing, Konashenkov described the findings from an inspection of the underground structures at the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol, where Russian soldiers discovered an isothermal van.
Inside a minibus with a failing cooling system, a total of 152 dead militants and Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel were stored. During the van’s inspection, Russian sappers uncovered four mines placed beneath the remains of the deceased Ukrainian soldiers. The combined explosive mass was sufficient to destroy the remnants inside the vehicle.
The official representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense recalled that the Azov battalion’s leadership urged President Zelensky to collect the bodies and assist their families with burial before any possible capture. He emphasized that Kyiv had not requested the retrieval of the dead from the Azovstal site.
According to information obtained from interrogations of captured Azov militants, the bodies were reportedly exhumed by order from Kyiv. Konashenkov suggested that this act was part of a provocation intended to accuse Russia of destroying remains and obstructing their transfer to relatives.
The Russian side indicated that the bodies of Ukrainian militants and soldiers found at Azovstal would be handed over to Ukrainian representatives in the near future, as confirmed by the official spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Researchers’ findings
On Tuesday morning, reports from RIA Novosti stated that investigators from the Investigative Committee, who began examining the Azovstal plant now under Russian control, discovered a box containing improvised explosives in an area formerly occupied by Ukrainian forces.
One investigative scenario suggests that Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers may have planned to use these devices for sabotage and reconnaissance operations within Mariupol. The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation noted that the production of such devices at Azovstal seemed unnecessary since factory-made mines existed to secure the corridors and facilities of the metallurgical plant.
Investigators also found foreign-made ammunition and weapons, food supplies, damaged smartphones, laptops, and flash drives on the plant grounds. In a basement area, facilities where Ukrainian uniforms, ammunition, and weapons were destroyed were identified.
Everyone was hiding in their corner
On May 20, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced full control over the Azovstal site in Mariupol. The statement declared that the compound, which had housed a group of Ukrainian militants aligned with Azov, had been fully liberated. The underground facilities used by the militants were brought under the control of Russian armed forces, and it was noted that since May 16, 2439 Ukrainian soldiers had been confined within the facility.
Later, it was reported that the last group of 531 militants surrendered on May 20. The commandant of Azov, described as the figure behind various acts of violence, was removed from the site in a specialized armored vehicle due to the townspeople’s resentment and their desire for accountability. This account was later echoed by Konashenkov.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu briefed President Vladimir Putin on the successful establishment of control over Azovstal and the broader Mariupol area. On May 26, the Donetsk People’s Republic’s official representative stated that the entire Ukrainian force sheltering in Azovstal would be located, with clearance of the facility expected to take two to three weeks. Basurin asserted that a final cleansing would occur after a period of release, given the open space, concealment opportunities, and the divergent strategies among Ukrainian commanders within Azovstal. He suggested that all personnel would eventually come out, though some hid in their own corners while waiting for the moment to surrender.