Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov named the exact number of captured defenders of Mariupol, reported RBC-Ukraine citing Danilov's statement on Channel 24.
2,439 Ukrainian soldiers are in russian captivity, Danilov said.
He stressed that the defenders had accomplished their tasks and that surrendering was necessary, as there were no other options to keep people alive.
"They are not yet in comfortable conditions, but at least they have food and water ... We hope that sooner or later they will return alive and well to our country," Danilov added.
On June 6, during a conversation with journalists, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke about more than 2,500 soldiers in captivity.