Mainstream Media Covers Up Ukrainian Azov Surrender In Mariupol

264 Ukrainian soldiers, including 53 severely wounded ones, surrendered to Russian forces on Monday after months of being holed up in the Azovstal iron and steelworks plant in Mariupol, Ukraine.

However, if you were one of the millions of people around the world who only consume mainstream media, you’d likely think the Ukrainian military voluntarily retreated from the city after a job well done.

Dinosaur media outlets like CNN, The Washington Post, The New York Times and several others framed the surrender as Ukraine troops “fulfilling their combat mission” or “ending” the battle and “evacuating” the Azovstal plant.

Perhaps global media is simply regurgitating what Ukrainian officials are reporting, as the Associated Press specifically noted, “Ukraine didn’t use the word ‘surrender.’”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the surrender “a difficult day.”

A statement released by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine praised the soldiers who surrendered, saying, “The defenders of Mariupol are heroes of our time. They will forever be marked down in history. This includes the special ‘Azov’ unit, the 12th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, the 36th Separate Brigade of Marines, border guards, police, volunteers, the Territorial Defense of Mariupol.”

The Azov unit is the specific brigade of the Ukrainian military associated with the massive neo-Nazi movement popular among many of the country’s nationalists.

Interestingly, the Azov Batallion’s logo uses the Sonnenrad, which is a Nazi symbol used by both the Buffalo mass shooter and the Christchurch shooter.

Russia’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyanskiy joked that he didn’t know there were so many ways in the English language to convey the message that the Azov Nazis surrendered.

Footage proving the Ukrainian troops in fact surrendered and were taken back to Russian-controlled territory has been posted online.

Independent journalist Patrick Lancaster published an update on the battle for Mariupol on Tuesday.