Mariupol defenders surrender to Russia but their fate is uncertain

Service members of the Ukrainian armed forces, who surrendered at the besieged Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol, sit in a bus upon their arrival under escort of the pro-Russian military in the settlement of Olenivka in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, May...more

A bus carrying wounded service members of Ukrainian forces from the besieged Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol drives under escort of the pro-Russian military in Novoazovsk, Ukraine, May 16. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

Service members of pro-Russian troops stand guard before the expected departure of Ukrainian soldiers, who surrendered at the besieged Azovstal steel mill, in Mariupol, Ukraine May 19. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

Service members of the Ukrainian armed forces, who surrendered at the besieged Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol, sit in a bus upon their arrival under escort of the pro-Russian military in the settlement of Olenivka in the Donetsk region, Ukraine May...more

A service member of pro-Russian troops stands guard before the expected departure of Ukrainian soldiers, who surrendered at the besieged Azovstal steel mill, in in Mariupol, Ukraine May 19. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

Service members of the Ukrainian armed forces, who surrendered at the besieged Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol, sit in a bus upon their arrival under escort of the pro-Russian military in the settlement of Olenivka in the Donetsk region, Ukraine May...more

Service members of the Ukrainian armed forces, who surrendered at the besieged Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol, sit in a bus upon their arrival in the settlement of Olenivka in the Donetsk region, Ukraine May 20. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

A service member of pro-Russian troops sits next to a cat before the expected departure of Ukrainian soldiers, who surrendered at the besieged Azovstal steel mill, in the course of Ukraine-Russia conflict in Mariupol, Ukraine May 19....more

A view shows a bus carrying service members of the Ukrainian armed forces, who surrendered at the besieged Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol and arrived under escort of the pro-Russian military in the settlement of Olenivka in the Donetsk region,...more

Service members of Ukrainian forces who have surrendered after weeks holed up at Azovstal steel works are being searched by the pro-Russian military in Mariupol, Ukraine, May 18. Russian Defence Ministry/via REUTERS

Service members of Ukrainian forces who have surrendered after weeks holed up at Azovstal steel works leave the territory of the plant in Mariupol, May 18. Russian Defence Ministry/via REUTERS

A still image taken from a video released by Russian Defence Ministry shows what it claims is a service member of Ukrainian forces, who left the besieged Azovstal steel plant, being searched by the pro-Russian military in Mariupol, May 17. Russian...more

Service members of Ukrainian forces who have surrendered after weeks holed up at Azovstal steel works are seen inside a bus driving away under escort of the pro-Russian military in Mariupol, Ukraine, May 17. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

Drone footage shows people being carried on stretchers from the Azovstal steelworks plant in the city of Mariupol, May 17. Social media video via REUTERS

A wounded service member of Ukrainian forces from the besieged Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol is transported on a stretcher out of a bus, which arrived under escort of the pro-Russian military in Novoazovsk, Ukraine, May 16. REUTERS/Alexander...more

Buses carrying service members of Ukrainian forces who have surrendered after weeks holed up at Azovstal steel works drive away under escort of the pro-Russian military in Mariupol, May 17. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

A service member of pro-Russian troops stands guard next to a combat vehicle, with the symbol "Z" seen on its side, before the expected evacuation of wounded Ukrainian soldiers from the besieged Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, May 16....more

Service members of Ukrainian forces who have surrendered after weeks holed up at Azovstal steel works are seen inside a bus driving away under escort of the pro-Russian military in Mariupol, May 17. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

A still image taken from a video released by Russian Defence Ministry shows what it claims are service members of Ukrainian forces, who left the besieged Azovstal steel plant, sitting inside a bus in Mariupol, May 17. Russian Defence Ministry/via...more

Service members of Ukrainian forces who have surrendered after weeks holed up at Azovstal steel works are seen inside a bus driving away under escort of the pro-Russian military in Mariupol, May 17. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

A still image taken from a video released by Russian Defence Ministry shows what it claims are service members of Ukrainian forces, who left the besieged Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, May 17. Russian Defence Ministry/via REUTERS

Buses carrying service members of Ukrainian forces who have surrendered after weeks holed up at Azovstal steel works drive away under escort of the pro-Russian militar in Mariupol, May 17. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

A wounded service member of Ukrainian forces from the besieged Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol looks out of a bus, which arrived under escort of the pro-Russian military in Novoazovsk, Ukraine, May 16. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

Drone footage shows people being carried on stretchers from the Azovstal steelworks plant in the city of Mariupol, May 17. Social media video via REUTERS

A still image taken from a video released by Russian Defence Ministry shows what it claims are service members of Ukrainian forces, who left the besieged Azovstal steel plant, being searched by the pro-Russian military in Mariupol, May 17. Russian...more

A view shows an explosion at a plant of Azovstal Iron and Steel Works in the southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine, May 11. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko

An injured Ukrainian service member sits at a field hospital inside a bunker of the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works in Mariupol, May 10. Dmytro Orest Kozatskyi/Press service of Azov Regiment

Injured Ukrainian service members use crutches at a field hospital inside a bunker of the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works in Mariupol, May 10. Dmytro Orest Kozatskyi/Press service of Azov Regiment

Service members of Mariupol's unit of the Ukrainian Sea Guard stay inside a bunker of the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works in Mariupol, May 15.    Press-service of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine/via REUTERS

An aerial view shows shelling in the Azovstal steel plant complex in Mariupol, May 5. Azov Regiment/via REUTERS