Russia said Thursday that a new batch of 771 Ukrainian soldiers blocked at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol has surrendered over the past 24 hours.

"A total of 1,730 militants have surrendered since May 16, including 80 wounded," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement, adding that all those in need of inpatient treatment have been hospitalized in Donetsk.

There is no comment from the Ukrainian side yet.