Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol has been 'completely liberated,' says Russian official

dailystar.co.uk:

Mariupol has been “completely liberated" from Ukrainians, according to Russia’s top military official.Nearly 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers left the Azovstal steelworks early this week, Russia had earlier claimed, ending a siege that kept an estimated 20,000 Russian troops tied up for over 80 days.Now, the Russian Defense Ministry claims that the strategically important site "has been completely liberated.""The territory of the Azovstal metallurgical plant in Mariupol, where since April 21 the group of Ukrainian militants of the Azov Nazi formation has been blocked, has been completely liberated," Major General Igor Konashenkov, spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, said.The head of the department, Sergei Shoigu, reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the complete liberation of Mariupol from Ukrainian militants, Russian news reports stated.

Ria.ru stated that the underground facilities of the plant came under the control of Russian troops.The Ukrainian captives gathered up earlier this week are being taken to a Russian prison colony there are fears that they could be put on trial as “Nazi war criminals”.A small resistance force in and around the four square-mile steelworks was all that remained and, if today's news is to be believed, they have also been defeated.Last week, Ukraine accused Russian forces of dropping white phosphorus bombs on the steel works, in defiance of international law.Retired Russian colonel Mikhail Khodaryonok said on Russian TV this week that his country faced "full geopolitical isolation” as a result of Western sanctions.To stay up to date with all the latest news, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters hereSaying that "virtually the entire world is against us,” Khodaryonok.