Russia is giving the Ukrainian soldiers and foreign mercenaries at the Azovstal metallurgical plant until 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday Moscow time to lay down their arms and surrender, Mikhail Mizintsev, head of the Russian National Defense Control Center, said on Tuesday.

He added that "the Russian Federation guarantees everyone the preservation of life and compliance with all the norms of the Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners of war."