Ukraine Top commanders from Mariupol's Azovstal moved to Russia for investigation: Report

Two Ukrainian commanders who defended the Azovstal steel plant in Ukraine's Mariupol have been transferred to Russia for investigation. Svyatoslav Palamar, a deputy commander of the Azov battalion and Sergei Volynsky, the commander of the 36th Marine Brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces have been moved to Russia by "special forces officers", TASS reported citing a law enforcement source. The development comes as the war between Russia and Ukraine entered day 116. 

The law enforcement source told TASS that special forces officers moved Svyatoslav Palamar and Sergey Volynsky from Donetsk to Russia for investigation. He added that officers of other units of Ukrainian forces have also been moved to Russia. Earlier in June, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that more than 2,500 fighters have been taken by Russia and held as prisoners. He said that Ukraine has been working for the release of Azovstal fighters.

Earlier in June, Ukraine had been recovering the bodies of Ukrainian fighters killed at the Azovstal plant. Dozens of dead bodies have been taken and transferred to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, according to AP. Ukrainian authorities have started DNA testing to identify the remains, AP reported, citing that both a military leader and a spokeswoman for the Azov Regiment. Anna Holovko, a spokeswoman for the Azov Regiment, said that 160 of the Ukrainian bodies turned over by the Russians were from Azovstal ruins. She added that at least 52 of those bodies are believed to have been the remains of Azov Regiment soldiers.

Russia frees Ukrainian medic who recorded her team's work in Mariupol

Notably, Azov Regiment was one of the Ukrainian units that defended the Azovstal steel plant for around three months before surrendering in May. Meanwhile, Russia has freed a Ukrainian medic who used a body camera to record 256 gigabytes of her team’s efforts in Mariupol. Yuliia Paievska using the body camera recorded her team's work to save the injured, including soldiers of both Russia and Ukraine. Paievska and her colleague were taken prisoner by Russian forces on March 16. After her release, Yuliia Paievska expressed gratitude to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his efforts to get her released.

(Inputs from AP)

Image: AP/Representative