Ukrainian troops, thought to be the last fighting Russian forces in Mariupol, have been told to stop the defence of the city.
Reuters news agency reported the Azov regiment had been ordered only to “save lives of soldiers” in the port – a key military objective for Vladimir Putin, which has been under bombardment for weeks.
The regiment says civilians and badly wounded soldiers have been evacuated from Mariupol’s Azovstal plant, while those who have died there are still being removed, according to a video statement from Denys Prokopenko, commander of the regiment.
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Mariupol has been a key target for Putin since the war began and the city has been devastated after coming under a barrage of attacks.
