The azov battalion is part of the regular ukranian military. It has to adhere to the rules of the chain of command. The als fighting in the plantad this time are new soldiers who were living civilian lives on february 20 fourth. They went and volunteered to join the military when the russians invaded, and were assigned to the asov battalion to fight.
For the past two months, a group of Ukrainian fighters has been holed up in the Azovstal steel plant in the city of Mariupol, mounting a last stand against Russian forces in a critical part of eastern Ukraine.
On Monday, Ukraine finally surrendered the plant.
After the end of the determined resistance at Azovstal, we hear from Leonid Kuznetsov, a 25 year-old soldier who had been stationed inside.
Guest: Michael Schwirtz, an investigative reporter for The New York Times.
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