The chief of staff of the Azov regiment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Major Bohdan Krotevich Tavr, said at a briefing that the command at Azovstal made a decision to go into captivity, because of the medical condition of the wounded, because the wounds of 300 of the 600 wounded began to fester. Commander of the Azov regiment Denys Prokopenko had contact with the President of Ukraine, with the commander-in-chief General Zaluzhnyu, the head of the GUR General Budanov.
“This entire operation of our exit was coordinated with the state leadership. It was a difficult operation.
It was very difficult for us to make this decision, but at that time we had 600 wounded and 300 of them were simply rotting. They were slowly dying, so the entire officer corps unanimously decided to go into captivity in order to provide urgent medical care to the soldiers who were in the hospital in the bunker. We did not have medicines and equipment, so this decision was made.
Yes, it was agreed with the country’s leadership, but the country’s leadership also gave us the right to choose,” Tavr said.