It has been so long since the end of the Battle of Mariupol that there is one thing of widespread concern that has not been achieved. Is there a foreign "big fish" in the circle surrounded by the long-rumored Azov Steel Plant? Theoretically, after the unconditional surrender of all the remaining defenders of the Azov Steel Plant, the Russian side should soon publish the results of the investigation. However, NATO countries are not as nervous as expected, and the Ukrainian side, which previously said that the 2439 remnants of the Aeszov steel plant "were ordered to evacuate", has now generously admitted that they have surrendered en masse. Unexpectedly, on the 7th, the Ukrainian army also shelled the towns around the DPR camp where the prisoners of the Azov Steel Factory were held, and was suspected of killing people and wanting to take the opportunity to plant stolen Russian troops to "kill prisoners".
In this context, the Russian side may think that it is time to give a follow-up account to the captives of the Azov steel plant. On June 8, important Russian media made an "official announcement". The Russian news agency reported on the same day that more than 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers and foreign mercenaries who surrendered in Mariupol were transferred to the territory of the Russian Federation for investigation. A law enforcement officer revealed to media reporters: "More than 1,000 people have been transferred from the Azov steel plant to Russia, and Russian law enforcement agencies are carrying out close further investigations into them." More than 100 of them will be sent to Moscow, including foreign mercenaries who surrendered at Mariupol. Judging from Russian media reports, the Russian side has completed a secondary screening of Ukrainian prisoners.
The first step was to preliminarily screen more than 1,000 "key screening targets" from 2,439 Ukrainian prisoners of war at the Azov Steel Plant in Mariupol. The second step is to send these more than 1,000 "key screening subjects" to Russia for more in-depth identity screening. After more than two weeks of investigation, it was confirmed that more than 100 of them were "high-value objects", that is, the "big fish" hidden by the Azov Steel Plant as the outside world and mainland netizens said. It is now certain that the minimum standard for these "big fish" is "foreign mercenaries", but the official announcement of the Russian side still leaves a lot of suspense, that is, how high are the rank and specifications of those "foreign mercenaries"? Whether to include "general-level" military advisers who have just retired from certain countries.
It should be emphasized that the "foreign mercenaries" among the more than 100 prisoners of war at the Azov steel mills to be sent to Moscow are definitely not ordinary "mercenaries who take money and sell their lives". Because the 3 representatives of the latter have already been tried in the DPR. Reuters quoted Russian news agencies on June 8 as saying that captured British mercenaries Sean Pinner and Aiden Aslin and Moroccan Brahim Saadoun were charged with four crimes in local law: group crime, forcible seizure of power, acting as mercenaries and participating in training to promote terrorist activities. The prosecutor of the Donetsk People's Republic stated that the three mercenaries could face the death penalty under the current legal provisions and the outcome of the trial.
Captured British mercenaries Pinna and Asrin, Moroccan Saadon
Personally, I believe that the mystery of the identity of the "big fish" left by the Russian side should soon be unveiled. According to the situation in the eastern battlefield of Ukraine, the second phase of the military operation between Russia and the DPR/LPR coalition is about to complete the intended objective (Russian experts believe that the goal of the second phase of military operation is to take the entire territory of the two states of Don Lugan and open up the land passage from the Sea of Azov to the Crimean Peninsula). In this case, the Russian side may make a summary and publicity of the stage victory, when these more than 100 "big fish" will all be lit on the cutting board, whether it is fried or fried is all up to the needs of the Russian side, of course, the relevant countries have the opportunity to communicate privately with the Russian side before the "secret fishing", but these countries must also meet the "asking price" of the Russian side while saving face.