OREANDA-NEWS. Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a telephone conversation with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said that the Ukrainian authorities should give the order to lay down their arms to the Ukrainian military at the Azovstal steel plant located in Mariupol, according to the Kremlin website. According to the Russian leader, prisoners of war will be guaranteed life, medical care and treatment in accordance with international legal norms.

As for the Ukrainian servicemen and militants of nationalist battalions blocked on the territory of the Azovstal plant, the Kiev authorities should take political responsibility and, guided by humane considerations, give them an order to lay down their arms,” the head of state said.

On April 21, Putin ordered to cancel the assault on Azovstal. He called it inappropriate, as it could lead to a large number of casualties among the Russian military. Instead, the president advised resorting to blocking the enterprise and again asking the defenders to lay down their arms.

The Azovstal and Ilyich plants are part of the Metinvest group, owned by businessman Rinat Akhmetov, which is Ukraine's largest producer of steel and iron ore. Some time ago, the company said that due to the siege of Mariupol, more than a third of the country's metallurgical capacities were disabled, and also stressed that the mentioned enterprises would not work under the conditions of "Russian occupation".

The day before, the mayor of Mariupol, Konstantin Ivashchenko, said that Azovstal would not be restored after the end of hostilities, since serious blows were dealt to the enterprise.