In Russia, on June 14, the trial of 22 captured "Azov" fighters ("Azovians") who defended Mariupol and were captured in May 2022 began.
This is reported by AR.
If they are found guilty, the "Azovians" face punishment from 15 years to life imprisonment.
Of the 24 people charged, two were exchanged for Russian prisoners of war. Of the remaining 22 defendants who appeared before the court, eight were women who prepared food for the "Azov" battalion.
- Mariupol was surrounded by Russian troops in the first days of the full-scale invasion, which began on February 24, 2022. The occupiers shelled the city with all kinds of weapons. It was under blockade from the beginning of March, and from the second half of May — under full occupation. The defense of the city lasted 86 days.
- The "Azovstal" plant was the last facility in Mariupol held by the Ukrainian military. There were soldiers of the National Guard, in particular the "Azov" regiment, employees of the Security Service of Ukraine, servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, border guards and policemen. As of the beginning of May, there were also hundreds of civilians in the plantʼs bomb shelters.
- On the night of May 17, 2022, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky informed about the start of an operation to rescue the defenders of Mariupol. Ukraine is still continuing the work of freeing the defenders of Mariupol from captivity. In May 2023, the representative of the Main Directorate of Intelligence Andriy Yusov reported that approximately 2 500 people had left "Azovstal", and more than 500 had already returned from Russian captivity.