The first group of Ukrainian troops encircled by the militia in Ilovaisk, the Donetsk region, have gotten out, Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said.
“Our first troops from the Ilovaisk group have reached the National Guard brigade’s strongpoint in the town of Komsomolske. They are 28 people from the Interior Ministry battalions Peacekeeper (14), Kherson (3), and Dnipro-1 (11). Several people from Defense Ministry territorial defense battalions are with them,” the Interior Ministry quoted Avakov as saying on Saturday.
Semen Semenchenko, the commander of the Donbas volunteer battalion said on Facebook that Ukrainian troops were continuing to get out of encirclement. “Those wounded have been provided with medical aid,” he said.
Semenchenko had said earlier on Saturday, Aug. 30 that President Petro Poroshenko had informed him on reaching an agreement on taking Ukrainian troops out of encirclement in Ilovaisk.
“By 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 30, all troops who did not surrender would be let pass through a special corridor with weapons and flags to the location where the main forces are deployed,” Semenchenko said. “The military hardware has been blown up. All troops who have surrendered and also those wounded and held in captivity will be exchanged for Russian paratroopers in Kharkiv over the next several days,” he said.
