In a statement on Telegram Tuesday, Andriy Biletskyi, Azov Battalion founder, sent a stern warning against speculations about what Azovstal hold-outs can expect after they agreed to the evacuation campaign from Azovstal steelworks.

Biletsky said people should keep their opinions and ‘insights’ to themselves, as those  are counterproductive and can hurt the operation the ongoing evacuation.

The Azov Batallion remain ‘in touch’ and will tell of the recent developments in ‘2 or 3 days’, and Bilestsky says he knows that is ‘going on there [at Azovstal]’ as the Ukrainian ‘garrison is at its place with arms in their hands’.

The major task now is to save ‘men of steel’ as they will ‘undoubtedly be needed by Ukraine’.

Biletsky praised the resilience of the Ukrainian soldiers who have held out at Mariupol, noting that they have done ‘things that must go down in war history books’.