The most wounded soldiers have been transported to a hospital in the city of Novoazovsky and more than 200 fighters to Olenivka. The Ukrainian armed forces say there are still soldiers left in Azovstal to save.
17.5. 06: 31 • Updated May 17 06:54
We gathered the key news from last night and last night in connection with the war in Ukraine.
“Mission over”
Ukraine’s military leadership announced early Tuesday that the military’s combat mission, defending the Russian-besieged Azovstal steel plant, is over. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces, efforts to rescue the soldiers still trapped in Azovstal continue. It called the soldiers “heroes of our time.”
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense said at night that more than 260 soldiers had been evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol. The matter was reported by the British Broadcasting Corporation, among others BBC (switch to another service).
Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Malyar reported that 53 severely wounded fighters have been transported to the Russian-backed separatist-ruled city of Novoazovsky for hospital treatment. In addition, more than 200 soldiers have been evacuated along the humanitarian corridor to Olenivka, which is also under the control of the rebels.
Russian news agency RIA Novosti said earlier on Monday that the Russian Ministry of Defense is opening a humanitarian corridor in the area through which soldiers can be taken for treatment.
According to the Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, the evacuated soldiers will be returned home through the exchange of prisoners.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zeleskyi said in turn early Tuesday that he hoped the soldiers’ lives would be saved.
Azovstal’s extensive factory site is located in the strategically important port city of Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine. In the past, trapped civilians were released from the area.
Explosions in Lviv and Donetsk
A series of explosions were heard at night in the city of Lviv in western Ukraine, according to Reuters. According to eyewitness observations, there would have been a dozen or so explosions in quick succession. There was no information on the potential victims of the explosions.
Nine civilians have been killed and six injured on Monday in Russian attacks in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, the governor of the region said. Ukrainian troops, meanwhile, announced late Monday that 20 civilians, including one child, had died in Russian attacks in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. The attacks were also said to have damaged dozens of buildings.
Reuters has not been able to verify the information.
The winners returned home
The Ukrainian Kalush Orchestra has returned home after an emotional Eurovision Song Contest and its handsome victory.
The band performed the winning song “Stefania” improvised to the Ukrainian border guards after crossing the border on their way home.
Band front view Oleh Psiuk said he hoped to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in the war effort by selling the orchestra-won Eurovision Song Contest.