Ukrainian intelligence tries to find a way to ‘rescue’ Azovstal fighters who are being held by Russia

Ukraine’s leader said on June 6 that Russia was holding more than 2,500 surrendered soldiers at the Azovstal factory and intelligence forces were working to free them.

“The first mission was to get every survivor (in Azovstal) out and I believe the intelligence service has completed this part. Now we focus on the second mission, bringing the survivors back. home,” declared Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Mr. Zelensky also expressed confidence in these intelligence agencies and emphasized: “They are our best experts in this matter. Maybe not the best in the world, but for them they are. I, they are the best. I trust them very much.”

“We know what it’s like to make a deal with Russia, we know the price we’re going to pay. They can’t be trusted. Intelligence leaders have to keep working and find a solution. Only one solution is to bring these soldiers home,” Zelensky added.

An uncertain fate is said to hang over hundreds of fighters who surrendered to Russia in the “fortress” of Azovstal in mid-May after they received a cease-fire from Kiev.

Interior Minister Denys Moosystemrskiy previously said intelligence services were helping Ukrainian authorities learn about their detention conditions, nutrition and possible release.

“We all believe they will all be here, in Kiev, and we are doing everything we can to achieve that,” Moosystemrskiy said.

In May, Russia said nearly 2,000 Ukrainian fighters had surrendered in Mariupol, where they had held out for weeks in bunkers and tunnels beneath the vast Azovstal steel plant.

Kiev wants the fighters to be released in a prisoner swap with Russia. But some senior Russian lawmakers are demanding that some Ukrainian prisoners be put on trial. The Kremlin said that fighters who surrender will be treated according to international standards.