Russia responded to calls for the evacuation of civilians from the Azovstal steelworks, where large numbers of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians took refuge after Russia took control of Mariupol, Ukraine. In the statement made by the Russian Ministry of Defense, it was announced that a total of 46 civilians at the Azovstal factory left the area and came under the control of Russian troops. In addition to that, the Ministry published the video images of civilians leaving the factory and made a statement on the situation.

“As a result of the ceasefire regime and the opening of the humanitarian corridor yesterday, 2 civilian groups left the residential areas of the Azovstal steelworks. In the afternoon, 25 local residents left. With the fall of darkness, 21 people in the second group, who used the silence regime, were delivered to the Bezymennoye settlement,” Russian Ministry of Defense said in their statement.