Russia Claims Successfully Freed Hostages At Mariupol Turkish Mosque Through Special Operations

Major General Igor Konashenkov. (Source: Russian Defense Industry Press Office/Vadim Savitsky via TASS)

JAKARTA - Russia claims to have freed hostages at a mosque in Mariupol City through a special operation, claiming it succeeded in killing about 23,000 Ukrainian soldiers and mercenaries, in addition to destroying the opposing side's infrastructure and defense equipment.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said on Sunday that Russian special forces had freed the hostages held in a Turkish mosque in the city of Mariupol.

"The special operation to free the hostage, who was held in a Turkish mosque by the Ukrainian Nazis, was carried out on April 16 during the offensive to free Mariupol and at the request of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan," he said, as reported by TASS April 17.

Major General Konashenkov said the maneuvers of the Russian special forces team also killed 29 insurgents, including foreign mercenaries, while liberating the mosque.

"The hostages who are citizens of one of the CIS countries were released and taken to a safe location," he said.

He further explained that the Russian armed forces have destroyed 470 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, 2,290 tanks and armored vehicles, and 254 rocket launch systems since the start of special military operations in Ukraine.

"Since the start of special military operations, a total of 134 combat aircraft, 470 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, 249 air defense systems, 2,290 tanks, and other armored vehicles, 254 multiple launch rocket systems, 992 field artillery, and mortar guns, and 2,166 special military units have been deployed. destroyed," he said.

According to the spokesman, Russian rocket and artillery forces struck 814 targets of the Ukrainian armed forces, including 17 command posts, 111 artillery fire positions, and 684 fortifications and enemy force groups.

In addition, Major General Konashenkov said, Russian air defense systems in residential areas of Avdeyevka, Bayrak, Lozovaya, Malaya Kamyshevakha, Novoprokopovka, Pologi, Chernobayevka, Shirokoye, and Yasinovataya shot down 10 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles.

The day before, Major General Konashenkov put the death toll of Ukrainian soldiers, the National Guard, and foreign mercenaries at 23,367. He called the recent statements by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky to Western media that the death toll on his side was around 2,500-3,000 military members was a lie.

“The Russian Ministry of Defense has reliable statistics on actual losses in the Ukrainian army, the National Guard, and among arriving foreign mercenaries, which Zelensky is afraid to communicate with the Ukrainian people. To date, it has reached 23,367," Konashenkov said.