The Mariupol defenders' relatives visited the capital of Turkey Ankara and asked to facilitate saving the lives of their loved ones and all the military who had been staying until recently or still are at the "Azovstal" steel plant.
That was discussed at the meeting with Turkey's president's advisor Yalçın Topçu in Ankara, Ukrinform reports.
"Azovstal" is the largest wound on the planet's body in 21 century. What's going on at the "Azovstal" isn't war, it's murder. They used all the possible and impossible kinds of weapons against our boys from air, land, and sea. It is an unprecedented case in history when the plant's territory had been totally besieged for 83 days. Our warriors were staying there with no means for life and even after they left there is no certainty of russia's compliance with international norms in what concerns treating our defenders," – the wives of the defenders and the mother of one of them stated.
The women emphasized that Mariupol's defenders stay in the plant's dungeons as well as every step of their way out of the "Azovstal" were full of lethal danger.
They thanked Turkey for its efforts to free Ukrainian troops and support Ukraine and asked to take further measures to free the defenders of Mariupol and save their lives.
Ukraine initiated negotiations with several countries and organizations to engage them into the talks with the rf on freeing Mariupol defenders blocked at the "Azovstal".
On 16 May, Ukrainian authorities reported the evacuation from Mariupol of 53 severely injured Ukrainian fighters who were taken to the hospital in Novoazovsk occupied by the rf. 211 more people were taken to occupied Olenivka through a humanitarian corridor.
For their further bringing back home, a swap procedure will be taken. Our severely injured troops are expected to be swapped after their condition stabilizes.
The military relatives also called on Chinese leader Xi Jinping to influence russia so that it allowed extraction – taking the military out to a third country to stay there until the end of the war. Turkey agreed to become such a third country.