Russia says it reached agreement with Ukraine on evacuation of wounded from Azovstal plant

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia reached an agreement with besieged Ukrainian servicemen on the evacuation of the wounded at the Azovstal steel plant in Ukraine's Mariupol city, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday.

"On May 16, as a result of negotiations with representatives of Ukrainian servicemen blocked on the territory of the Azovstal metallurgical plant in Mariupol, an agreement was reached on the evacuation of the wounded," the ministry said in a statement.

The medical services have already started transporting the injured Ukrainian soldiers, it added.

At least 3,668 people have been killed and 3,896 injured in Ukraine since the start of the war on Feb. 24, according to UN estimates. The true toll is believed to be much higher.

Over 6.2 million people have fled to other countries, with some 7.7 million people internally displaced, according to the UN refugee agency.