Hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers evacuated from Mariupol
About a dozen buses carrying Ukrainian fighters, who were holed up for two months beneath Mariupol’s besieged Azovstal plant, drove out of the huge industrial Monday evening into Russian-held territory – including 53 badly wounded fighters. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukrainian military, intelligence and negotiating teams, as well as the Red Cross and the UN were involved in the evacuation operation. “Ukraine needs its heroes alive,” he said. Kiev expects them to be freed in an exchange with captured Russian prisoners but warned this will take time.