50 civilians evacuated from Azovstal plant in Mariupol

Russia's Defence Ministry reported that 50 civilians, including 11 children, have been evacuated on Friday from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol. The plant is the last Ukrainian holdout in the ruined city.

The evacuees were handed over to United Nations and International Red Cross Committee representatives in Bezimenne, near the border with Russia, to then be transported to their preferred destinations.

Hundreds of civilians and Ukrainian fighters remain trapped at the plant and Russian forces have pushed their way inside. The seizure of Mariupol is expected to play a central role in Moscow’s celebration on May 9 of Victory Day, historically marking the end of World War II.