Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Abigail O'Leary

Hundreds of worn-out Ukrainian soldiers surrender after Russia 'encirclement'

Horrific images show roughly 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers surrendering after being 'encircled' by Russian troops for over a month.

Images show Ukrainian men, some of whom appeared injured, also lined up and pictured against a wall in the port city of Mariupol.

Much of the city has been bombed to the ground, with reports in recent days suggesting Putin's troops could be close to capturing the city.

The city is critical for Russia as it provides a connecting pathway between Russia’s south and east; occupied Crimea and Moscow-backed separatist territories Donetsk and Lugansk in Donbas.

Footage broadcast on Russian television showed what appeared to be Ukrainian troops walking in a large group with their hands in the hair. it said was Ukrainian troops giving themselves up.

Soldiers walk with their hands raised in a location given as Mariupol (via REUTERS)

Another person was carried on a stretcher by four others, while one held a makeshift white flag in an appeal for a ceasefire for an injured man.

In one clip, an unidentified Russian soldier said: “You may be scared or not, but it is necessary to surrender anyway. The choice is not a big one. First, the encircling is tight enough.

"Second, there are at least five echelons (of troops), so it is not that simple to exit if someone would think that he can easily leave.”

In another, more than a dozen soldiers were lined up in a dark room with their heads tilted towards the ground. Some were shown to be injured.

Soldiers carry a wounded man on a stretcher in a location given as Mariupol (via REUTERS)
Soldiers walk with their hands raised (via REUTERS)

One of them said: “I was in a group of 13 to 15 men who moved together and survived. We had to surrender as we had been encircled.”

It comes as a British soldier fighting alongside Ukrainian marines in the city of Mariupol said his unit has "no choice but to surrender".

Aiden Aslin, 27, contacted his family in the early hours claiming the unit had run out of food and ammunition.

The former care worker from from Newark, Nottinghamshire, had been fighting with the 39th Brigade Ukrainian Marines.

Footage broadcast on Russian television showed what appeared to be Ukrainian troops walking in a l large group (via REUTERS)

He had posted videos of the fight against Russian forces since the start of the invasion of Ukraine.

After weeks of battling enemy forces, he has reportedly told a friend: "It's been 48 days.

"We tried our best to defend Mariupol but we have no choice but to surrender to Russian forces.

"We have no food and no ammunition. It's been a pleasure everyone, I hope this war ends soon."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.