Russia advances in Ukraine's Donbas as Mariupol steelworks siege ends

Russia moved nearer to control over Ukraine's Donbas region, claiming victory in the months-long battle for Mariupol's steel plant and launching a major offensive on the remaining Ukrainian-held territory in the province of Luhansk.

The last Ukrainian forces holed up in Mariupol's smashed Azovstal steelworks surrendered on Friday, Russia's defense ministry said. That ended the most destructive siege of the war.

"The territory of the Azovstal metallurgical plant ... has been completely liberated," the ministry said in a statement, adding that 2,439 defenders had surrendered in the past few days, including 531 in the final group.

Hours earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said