Russia's Defence Ministry said on May 19 that 1,730 Ukrainian soldiers had surrendered this week at the besieged Azovstal steel plant in Ukraine's port city of Mariupol. "Over the past 24 hours, 771 militants of the Azov nationalist regiment surrendered," the Ministry said in its daily briefing on the conflict. "In total, since May 16, 1,730 militants have surrendered, including 80 wounded," it added.