Hundreds of Ukrainian Fighters Evacuated from Mariupol Steel Plant: 'Heroes of Our Time'
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Ukrainian officials said the soldiers who spent more than two months inside the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol following a siege by Russian forces have "fulfilled [their] combat mission."
On Tuesday, the evacuation of the troops was underway, according to a statement, obtained by USA Today, from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
"The Supreme Military Command ordered the commanders of the units stationed at Azovstal to save the lives of their personnel," the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said. "Mariupol defenders are heroes of our time."
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The Ukrainian military announced 264 service members — 53 of whom are "seriously injured" — had been evacuated. The injured were taken by bus for medical aid in Russian controlled territories, according to The Wall Street Journal.
In a statement, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the evaluation of the steel plant is being completed to save lives of the fighters who endured weeks of Russian attacks.
"Ukraine needs Ukrainian heroes to be alive. It's our principle," he said, according to CBS News. "The work to bring the guys home continues, and it requires delicacy and time."
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"Thanks to the defenders of Mariupol, Ukraine gained critically important time to form reserves and regroup forces and receive help from partners," Deputy Ukrainian Defense Minister Hanna Maliar added, per CBS News. "They fulfilled all their tasks. But it is impossible to unblock Azovstal by military means."
Ukraine Minister for the Reintegration Irina Vereshchuk said a prisoner exchange will occur for the soldiers, according to USA Today.
The Kremlin said the end of the combat mission was a mass surrender. In a video from Russian Defense Ministry, troops can be seen patting down and searching the fighters, according to USA Today.
Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the lower house of the Russian parliament, said he believes there are "war criminals" among the evacuated troops and they should face prosecution, the outlet reported.
It remains unknown how many troops remain at the steel plant.
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RELATED: Russian Troops Want to Conceal Bodies of More Than 10,000 Dead in Mariupol, Ukraine, Mayor Says
Earlier this month, wives of the trapped Ukrainian soldiers spoke out about the situtation in an interview with The New York Times.
"They are really on the last breath," Kateryna Prokopenko said of the fighters, which include her husband, Lt. Col. Denys Prokopenko.
"The whole world is advising them to surrender without understanding that it means death for them," Yulia Fedosiuk, whose husband Sgt. Arseniy Fedosiuk is also among those under the sprawling factory, said.
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Russia's attack on Ukraine continues after their forces launched a large-scale invasion on Feb. 24 — the first major land conflict in Europe in decades.
Details of the fighting change by the day, but thousands of civilians have already been reported dead or wounded, including children, though the actual number of deaths is difficult to determine.
Nearly 6 million have fled the country as refugees — and half are children, according to the United Nations. Millions more have been displaced inside Ukraine.
The invasion, ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, has drawn condemnation around the world and increasingly severe economic sanctions against Russia.
With NATO forces amassed in the region, various countries are offering aid or military support to the resistance. Zelenskyy has called for peace talks — so far unsuccessful — while urging his country to fight back.
Putin insists Ukraine has historic ties to Russia and he is acting in the best security interests of his country. Zelenskyy vowed not to bend.
"Nobody is going to break us, we're strong, we're Ukrainians," he told the European Union in a speech in the early days of the fighting, adding, "Life will win over death. And light will win over darkness."
The Russian attack on Ukraine is an evolving story, with information changing quickly. Follow PEOPLE's complete coverage of the war here, including stories from citizens on the ground and ways to help.