Support The Moscow Times!

Surrendered Azovstal Defenders May Face Death Penalty – Separatists

Ukrainian servicemen, who surrendered at the Azovstal Iron and Steel Work. Alexander Garmayev / TASS

Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered to Russian forces at the Azovstal steel plant in the city of Mariupol may face the death penalty, a pro-Moscow separatist official said Monday.

"The court will make a decision about them," Yuri Sirovatko, the justice minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic in eastern Ukraine, was quoted as saying by the RIA Novosti news agency.

"For such crimes we have the highest form of punishment in the DNR — the death penalty. 

"All the prisoners of war are on the territory of the DNR," he said, adding that there were around 2,300 soldiers from Azovstal among them.

Hundreds of Ukrainian defenders of the strategic port of Mariupol on the coast of the Sea of Azov in the country's southeast surrendered this month after holding out in underground tunnels at the Azovstal steelworks for weeks.

Kyiv has said it wants to exchange the soldiers in a prisoner swap, while Moscow has indicated that they will first stand trial.

Among the Ukrainian fighters who gave themselves up were members of the Azov regiment, a former paramilitary unit which has integrated into the Ukrainian armed forces. 

Russia describes the unit, which has previous links to far-right groups, as a neo-Nazi organization.

In a phone call with Vladimir Putin on Saturday, the leaders of France and Germany urged the Russian president to release the Ukrainian fighters from Azovstal. 

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more