Eventually the fighters barricaded in the Azovstal steel plant surrendered . The order to leave the mega steel plant came directly from Kiev after a temporary truce agreement with Moscow.

264 soldiers have left the steel bunker after weeks of grueling siege: 53 wounded soldiers brought to Novoazovsk and another 221 fighters brought to Olenivka, in the territory controlled by the pro-Russian separatists of Donetsk. The latter are expected to be brought to Ukrainian-held areas as part of a prisoner exchange.

The Supreme Military Command ordered the fighters of the steel mill to "save the lives of the personnel", calling the defenders of Mariupol " heroes of our time " because "by maintaining their positions in Azovstal, they did not allow the enemy to transfer groups of up to 17 battalion battle groups (approximately 20,000 staff members) in other areas. This prevented the implementation of the plan for the rapid capture of Zaporizhzhia ”.

" Ukraine needs living heroes, and I think any sensible person will understand these words ," said Volodymyr Zelensky.

The arms are not silent in the rest of the country: the counter-offensive of the Ukrainian forces continues in the Kharkiv Region. Moscow, for its part, has tightened border control in the Bryansk and Kursk regions, while the Belarusian armed forces continue to garrison the border with Ukraine, forcing the Kiev troops not to relax their surveillance on that front.

Targeted attacks overnight hit western Ukraine . A military base 15 kilometers from the Polish border was targeted by a missile attack, we are talking about the Yavoriv facility, which has already been targeted at least three times since the start of the war.

Explosions were also heard in Lviv , the mayor said. CNN correspondents speak of a series of explosions in the center, north and northwest of the city, shortly after the air raid sirens had sounded.

( HERE all the news about the war)

( HERE all the videos of the conflict)

Here are the updates by the hour.

The Russian prosecutor: "Azov composed of terrorists"

The Russian Attorney General has asked the Supreme Court to recognize the Ukrainian Azov regiment as a "terrorist organization". The news agency Interfax reported, quoting the website of the Russian Ministry of Justice. The Russian Supreme Court is expected to hear the case on May 26.

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Borrell: "If it is true that Russia has lost 15% of its troops, this is a world record"

"If it is true that Russia lost 15% of its troops at the start of the war, this is a world record for an army that has invaded another country." This was stated by the High Representative for EU foreign policy Josep Borrell at the end of the EU Defense Council.

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Moscow: "US is looking for Isis terrorists as mercenaries in Ukraine"

According to the Russian intelligence services, the Americans are allegedly "attracting terrorists" of ISIS to make them "participate in hostilities in Ukraine as mercenaries", said Serghei Ivanov, head of the press office of SVR, the foreign secret service, quoted by the 'Tass agency. "According to foreign intelligence sources, the United States is actively attracting members of the international terrorist organization of the Islamic State, outlaws in Russia, to participate in hostilities in Ukraine as mercenaries," said Ivanov.

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Born in the EU Defense Council: "Go ahead with the aid"

NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana attended a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union. The deputy secretary and EU ministers exchanged views on Russian aggression on Ukraine and discussed further ways to support it further, including by providing military assistance. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov attended the meeting by videoconference.

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The International Criminal Court sends 42 investigators to Ukraine

The International Criminal Court sends 42 investigators and experts to investigate war crimes in Ukraine. "I confirm that today my office has sent a team of 42 investigators, forensic experts and other support staff to Ukraine," said the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, in a statement, adding that it is the "largest mission in numerical terms ever deployed in the field at one time".

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Ok of the Helsinki Parliament to join NATO

The Finnish parliament voted by a very large majority in favor of NATO membership, with 188 votes to 8. Thursday Biden will receive the leaders of Sweden and Finland.

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Putin: "Azovstal fighters will be treated according to the laws"

The fighters from Mariupol's Azovstal Steel Plant will be treated in line with "international law". This was stated by the spokesman of the Kremlin Dmitry Peskov quoted by the BBC. Peskov refused to comment on the status of the evacuated troops and did not answer the question of whether Ukrainian soldiers will be treated as war criminals or as prisoners of war: "President Putin has guaranteed that they will be treated in line with relevant international laws" , he said without providing further details on the fate of the evacuated troops.

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Putin: "The West is carrying out an energy suicide"

The West is heading towards "a kind of energy suicide" with the imposition of sanctions on Russian supplies. This was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking to Russian oil companies in Moscow. "In the long term it will suffer the consequences, it is causing damage to the European economy," added Putin.

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Kiev confirms: "Talks currently suspended"

"Currently the negotiation process is suspended: after the meeting in Istanbul there have been no changes, no progress. The Russian Federation still stands on its stereotypical positions. But every war ends at the negotiating table, and this process will be moderated by Zelensky" . This was stated by Ukrainian presidential adviser and negotiator, Mikhailo Podolyak, according to reports from the Ukrainian agency UNIAN.

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Russia withdraws from the Baltic Sea Council of States

Russia has decided to withdraw from the Baltic Sea Council of States. This was announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Moscow, Sergej Lavrov. The latter accuses Western states of monopolizing the council, a political body for regional cooperation between governments founded in 1992. "Their goal is to serve their own interests and harm those of Russia," Lavrov argued.

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Moscow publishes videos of the surrender of Azovstal's fighters

The Russian Defense Ministry has released a video showing the 'surrender' by Ukrainian fighters evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol. This was reported by the Russian agency Interfax. In the video published by Ria Novosti, wounded Ukrainian soldiers are seen being carried out of the factory on stretchers. And while they are receiving first aid, the others are being searched by the Russian military.

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Moscow: "Kiev has withdrawn from negotiations"

"Kiev has practically withdrawn from the negotiation process. Ukraine has practically withdrawn from the negotiation process. Negotiations are not continuing": Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said today, according to the Russian Interfax agency.

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Lavrov: "There are no talks with Kiev, in any form"

Talks between Moscow and Kiev are now not taking place in any form. The shift of the Ukrainian negotiation process from Kiev to Washington and London will not bear fruit. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergej Lavrov quoted by the Russian agency Interfax.

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10.40 am - "Over 250 Azovstal soldiers have surrendered"

"Over 250 Ukrainian soldiers, including 51 wounded from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol have surrendered". This was stated by the headquarters of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (Dpr) quoted by the Russian news agency Interfax.

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"Kiev did not do the staging of Bucha by itself"

"Kiev could hardly have done such a brilliant and bloody staging in Bucha alone, she has an army of PR firms working for her." The Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during a marathon of conferences, quoted by the Russian news agency Tass. Moscow also returns to ask for an "independent" investigation into Bucha's events.

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Sweden signs a NATO membership application

Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde signed Sweden's application for membership of NATO this morning: CNN reports. The signing represents Stockholm's formal step towards joining the Alliance.

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Moscow: "The West's actions against us are acts of war"

"The actions of Western countries towards Russia are a war, it would be more correct now to indicate non-friendly countries as hostile". This was stated by the spokesman of the Kremlin Dmitry Peskov reported by the Russian agency Interfax.

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Kremlin: "Russia's existence irritates the West"

"The very existence of Russia is irritating to the West, the Western world is ready to do everything so that the Federation does not live as it wants. The United States behaves hostile towards Russia". This was stated by the spokesman of the Kremlin DimitrijPeskov according to reports from the Russian agency Tass. "The country loses its sovereignty if it does not firmly defend its interests", he added, "Russia is sure of its victory and the achievement of its objectives, it is sure that everything will be fine".

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Hit a Russian village

The Russian village of Alekseyevka in the Kursk region, on the border with Ukraine, was hit by large-caliber weapons. This was announced by the governor of the region, Roman Starovoit, according to whom three houses and a school were damaged in the attack. Tass reports it.

"Today, around 5 am, the village of Alekseyvka, in the Glushkovsky district, was hit by large arms," said Starovoit, "fortunately there were no injuries in the attack," he added. Starovoit also said that the village of Alekseyevka was the first to come under military fire in the region.

(Unioneonline)

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