The Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday that Russian forces opened fire on a Ukrainian ship that was trying to evacuate commanders of the Azov Battalion from the besieged city of Mariupol.
“
The Kiev regime does not give up on attempts to evacuate the leaders of the nationalist Azov regiment and foreign mercenaries from Mariupol
,” the ministry said in a statement.
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On Friday evening, Russian forces fired artillery at a Ukrainian cargo vessel when it suddenly changed direction and attempted to break through the blockade of Mariupol port.
Following these shots, the Apache, flying the Maltese flag, caught fire and announced that it would comply with Russia's demands.
According to Moscow, there are no casualties among the crew members.
The Apache and its crew were escorted to the Russian port of Yeisk located on the shores of the Sea of Azov.
Members of the Azov Battalion fought against Russian forces in Mariupol, a town in southeastern Ukraine between Russia's annexed Crimea and the separatist regions in the east of the country.
The Azov Special Operations Detachment, previously known as the "
Azov Battalion
", is a key part of the Russian propaganda campaign accusing Ukrainian authorities of having ties to neo-Nazis.