“A Ukrainian group surrounded and completely blockaded in the Azovstal steelworks has been asked to voluntarily lay down arms and surrender in order to save their lives,” the Ministry said.

"However, the Kyiv nationalist regime, according to the radio intercept, forbade negotiations about surrendering," the Ministry claimed.

The ministry said that according to Ukrainian soldiers who had previously surrendered "there are up to 400 foreign mercenaries who joined the Ukrainian forces" trapped at the plant.

“In the case of further resistance, they will all be eliminated,” it added.

The Siege of Mariupol began on February 24, during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, as part of the Eastern Ukraine offensive. Mariupol is located in the Donetsk Oblast in Ukraine and is claimed by the Russian-backed separatist Donetsk People's Republic. Russian forces completely besieged the city on 2 March, after which they gradually gained control of the city.

The Red Cross described the situation as "apocalyptic", and Ukrainian authorities have accused Russia of engineering a major humanitarian crisis in the city, with city officials reporting that about 21,000 civilians have been killed. (ILKHA)