25 Civilians Leave Mariupol’s Azovstal Plant

Among them six children under 14 years old

The Azovstal plant Petr Kovalev/TASS

© Petr Kovalev/TASS

NOVOAZOVSK, April 30. /TASS/. A group of civilians has left the Azovstal steel workshops in Mariupol, a TASS correspondent reported from the site on Saturday.

A total of 25 people, including six children under 14 years old, have come out.

Mariupol is the largest city of the Sea of Azov, one of the key metallurgical centers of Donbass and a seaport. Two major ironworks are located in the city - the Ilyich metal plant and Azovstal. The Azovmash engineering plant is also situated in Mariupol.

The battles for Mariupol erupted on February 25. By now, Ukrainian nationalist formations have been driven out of Mariupol’s residential areas. In mid-April, over 1,300 personnel belonging to the 36th Ukrainian marine infantry brigade laid down their arms at the Ilyich factory in Mariupol. Later, the city’s merchant port was fully cleared of Ukrainian troops and the hostages held there were released. Ukrainian nationalists remain holed up in Azovstal, blocked by Russian troops.