On May 20, 2022, Ukrainian forces, led by the Azov Regiment that had resisted Russian forces for nearly three months, laid down their arms and exited the Azovstal steel plant. There were then about 2,500 soldiers remaining in Azovstal, of whom a quarter to a third were wounded. Here's a look inside the plant. Story by Natalie Liu. Photos by Dmytro Kozatsky, Azov Regiment, Ukrainian National Guard.
Amid Ruins of Azovstal, Images of Pain and Sacrifice
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"We’re soldiers, we have our orders," a Ukrainian officer told French author Bernard-Henri Levy. "The orders were to hold the line, and then hold some more. Another week. Then another." (Dmytro Kozatsky, Azov Regiment, Ukrainian National Guard)
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A wounded soldier inside Azovstal. (Dmytro Kozatsky, Azov Regiment, Ukrainian National Guard)
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Two soldiers from the Azov Regiment were among hundreds who were wounded in the course of defending Mariupol. (Dmytro Kozatsky, Azov Regiment, Ukrainian National Guard)
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A wounded soldier inside Azovstal. (Dmytro Kozatsky, Azov Regiment, Ukrainian National Guard)
