Thousands Of Ukrainian POWs Placed In Donetsk, Dozens Of Militants Allegedly Still In Azovstal

Evacuation of Ukrainian troops from Azovstal, Mariupol. (Twitter/@StateOfUkraine)

JAKARTA - More than 4,000 Ukrainian prisoners of war are being held on the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), spokesman for the DPR people's militia Eduard Basurin said Thursday local time.

"More than four thousand. I can't say exactly how many," he explained to TASS as quoted May 27.

He further stressed that the conditions for Ukrainian prisoners of war were placed in appropriate facilities, in accordance with international rules.

"I can honestly say, their conditions are quite comfortable. We have extensive experience in this matter. During our war, we arranged 'travels' for foreign journalists, who can see for themselves that the conditions of prisoners of war are very comfortable and according to the required standards," he explained. .

Regarding the Ukrainian troops in Aozvstal, Basurin said dozens of Ukrainian militants may still be hiding at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol.

"There may be a handful or tens of them hiding there. A conclusion can be made, that some (Ukrainian soldiers hiding in the factory) are planning to cheat, but cheating is impossible, so they are exposed," he said.

Basurin warned that it was impossible for Ukrainian militants planning to leave, changing their military uniforms to civilian clothes, to go out and live freely.

Separately, the Ambassador of the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) to Russia Rodion Miroshnik said the number of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Lugansk and Donetsk was about 8,000 and was growing several hundred a day.