Azovstal commander says obeys order to save lives

(Reuters) – A senior commander of Ukrainian forces holed up beneath the Azovstal steel mill besieged by Russian forces said he was carrying out a decision by the military high command to save the lives of service personnel, but made no mention of surrendering.

“The main thing is to realise all the risks, is there a plan B, are you fully committed to that plan which must allow for fulfilling the assigned tasks and preserve the lives and health of personnel?” Commander Denys Prokopenko said in a video posted on social media.

“This is the highest level of overseeing troops. All the more so when your decision is endorsed by the highest military command.”

(Reporting by Natalia Zinets, Writing Ronald Popeski; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)