Russia claims an additional 700 Ukrainians surrendered at Mariupol

The Kremlin announced on Wednesday that nearly 700 more Ukrainian soldiers surrendered in the port city of Mariupol, just over a day after Kyiv ordered its forces in the port city to stand down – handing Russia its first major victory since President Vladimir Putin launched his “special military operation” on Feb. 24.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, 694 additional fighters surrendered on Tuesday night – bringing the total number of surrendered forces to 959. Denis Pushilin – the leader of the pro-Russian forces who control the area – told local reporters that Ukraine’s top commanders still remained inside the steelworks plant, however.

Although Ukrainian officials confirmed the surrender of more than 250 fighters on Tuesday, Kyiv has remained silent about the subsequent surrenders, Reuters reported.

"The state is making utmost efforts to carry out the rescue of our servicemen. Let's wait. Currently, the most important thing is to save the lives of our heroes," military spokesman Oleksandr Motuzaynik told reporters. "Any information to the public could endanger that process."

Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko said President Volodymyr Zelensky is currently discussing humanitarian options with the Red Cross and the United Nations, but gave no further details about the city’s fall.

"Unfortunately, the subject is very sensitive and there is a very fragile set of talks going on today, therefore I cannot say anything more," he noted.

The fall of Mariupol and the surrender of the steelworks would bring an end to one of the war’s bloodiest chapters and offer Putin a rare victory in a disastrous military campaign that has – so far – not gone his way. Since retreating from Kyiv, Russian forces have continued on to other targets, attempting to capture additional territory in southeastern Ukraine’s Donbas region, which the Kremlin has claimed on behalf of separatists since 2014.

Although the city has been reduced to rubble, its capture is Russia’s most important victory thus far, effectively handing Moscow control of the coast of the Sea of Azov and a land bridge between eastern and southern Ukraine.