MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th April, 2022) The Russian Armed Forces, guided by purely humane principles, once again offer the militants of the Ukrainian nationalist battalions and foreign mercenaries remaining at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol to stop hostilities and lay down their arms from 14:00 Moscow time (11:00 GMT) on Wednesday, they are guaranteed life, Col. Gen. Mikhail Mizintsev, the head of the Russian Defense Ministry's National Defense Control Center, said.
"Despite the absence of any elementary actions on the part of the Kiev authorities to save the military personnel of their country, and also realizing the complete irresponsibility of officials of the Kiev regime for the predicted sad outcome of resistance in the remaining hearth of Mariupol, the Russian Armed Forces, guided by purely humane principles, again offer the militants nationalist battalions and foreign mercenaries to cease hostilities and lay down their arms from 14:00 Moscow time on April 20, 2022," Mizintsev said at a briefing on Tuesday.
"The leadership of the Russian Federation guarantees the preservation of life, complete safety and the provision of qualified medical care to all those who laid down their arms," he stressed.
Russia has repeatedly, including by the example of Ukrainian marines who laid down their arms and surrendered, has already confirmed its humane attitude towards prisoners of war, full compliance with international humanitarian law, Mizintsev added.
"The Russian side guarantees compliance with the Geneva Conventions on the treatment of prisoners of war," he said.
According to Mizintsev, an algorithm of actions is provided for the practical implementation of the measures of this regular humanitarian operation.
"From 13:00 Moscow time, continuous communication is established between the Russian and Ukrainian sides for the mutual exchange of information; from 13:30 Moscow time, militants of nationalist battalions and foreign mercenaries, on the one hand, the Russian Armed Forces, together with the military formations of the Donetsk People's Republic, on the other hand, declare a 'silence regime' and guarantee its strict observance," Mizintsev said.
The actual start of the "silence regime" by both sides is indicated by the raising of flags: red from the Russian side, and white from the Ukrainian side along the entire perimeter of Azovstal. In addition, the fact that the sides are ready to introduce a "silence regime" is confirmed through all communication channels; from 14:00 � the exit of all Ukrainian armed units and foreign mercenaries, without any weapons and ammunition, he said.
Information about the next opportunity to lay down their arms for the militants and mercenaries surrounded at the Azovstal plant in Mariupol will be transmitted via radio channels every 30 minutes, Mizintsev said.
"From 00:00 (Moscow time) on April 20, 2022, this statement will be continuously communicated to Ukrainian formations at Azovstal via radio channels at intervals of every 30 minutes. This statement is immediately communicated to the Ukrainian side through operational communication channels through Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of Ukraine Vereshchuk Iryna Andriivna," he said.
This urgent statement is subject to immediate publication and communication to the United Nations, the OSCE, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other international organizations, as well as the diplomatic missions of all foreign states through all available communication channels and information resources, he said.
