The Ukrainian military has lauded the Ukrainian fighters who defended the Azovstal steel plant in the besieged southern city of Mariupol, calling them "heroes of our time" and that they would be remembered "forever in history", APA reports citing BBC.
Hundreds of fighters had been holed up in the tunnels beneath the massive industrial plant, defending the last Ukrainian stronghold in the city.
The strategically located port city had come under massive bombardment from Russian forces early in the invasion.