Ukrainian troops have not come out from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol carrying a white flag, a representative of the Southern Military District told TASS on Saturday
“None of the Ukrainian service members have come out with a white flag from the plant premises,” he said.
Some media outlets reported earlier in the day that Ukrainian service members had come out of the plant waving a white flag.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Saturday that 51 civilians had been evacuated from Azovstal since May 5.
“A humanitarian operation to evacuate civilians from the Azovstal metallurgical plant has been completed today. During the operation, 51 people (18 men, 22 women and 11 children) have been rescued since May 5, including one person on May 7,” Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, chief of Russia’s National Defense Management Center, said.
The general added that each civilian was offered security, and provided with medical and psychological assistance. The rescued civilians left for chosen places of temporary accommodation, accompanied by representatives of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
