OREANDA-NEWS Fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), who are under blockade on the territory of the Azovstal plant, offered the Russian military to exchange civilians for food and medicines, RIA Novosti writes. A representative of the headquarters of the operation to liberate the enterprise, in a conversation with the agency, clarified that the nationalists had set a condition: a ton of food with medicines in exchange for fifteen hostages. According to the source, the Ukrainian military warned that they would not release anyone else for free.

«We have to maintain contacts with the Nazis of Azov who have settled there and representatives of the AFU in the interests of saving the civilians who remained there. During the negotiations, they offered us to exchange civilian hostages for food and medicine. The indicated terms of the deal are fifteen hostages for a ton of food, as well as medicines. They warned that they would not let anyone else go to Ukraine — now they will only exchange them», the speaker said.

In conclusion, the interlocutor noted that, according to his assessment, there are more than 200 civilians in the basements, including women, children and pensioners. On April 21, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, reported on the transfer of Mariupol under the control of Russian troops. At the same time, he noted that more than two thousand Ukrainian militants remain blocked at Azovstal.

Putin ordered to cancel the storming of the enterprise and once again invite everyone who is there to lay down their arms. He stressed that the Russian side guarantees them life and decent treatment, as well as medical care for the wounded. Later, there were reports of groups of civilians who left the factory. The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, said that more than 150 civilians remain in the bunkers of the Azovstal metallurgical plant in Mariupol, as well as 170 wounded.