The corpses of fighters and soldiers of the Ukrainian forces were discovered by Russian soldiers in an insulated van, which “did not work”. Moscow says it is ready to return these bodies to Ukraine.
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The Russian army discovered the bodies of 152 Ukrainian fighters at the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol, southeastern Ukraine. Russia “plans to return the bodies discovered”the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday (May 31).
Moscow nevertheless claims not to have received a request from kyiv to recover these remains. These claims could not be independently verified.
During their search operations in the steelworks, “Russian soldiers discovered an insulated van” where the bodies were stored, according to the ministry, van “whose refrigeration system was not working”. “Four Mines” were also discovered under the bodies, according to Russian authorities.
More than 2,000 Ukrainian fighters, notably from the Azov regiment, had entrenched themselves in the steelworks for several weeks. The last Ukrainian defenders of Mariupol surrendered to Russian forces between Monday May 16 and Friday May 20, after three months of intense fighting. Nearly 2,500 Ukrainian fighters are still held by the Russians. Moscow intends to try them as war criminals.