Russia claims to find bodies of 152 Ukrainian fighters in Mariupol steel plant

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The Russian Ministry of Defense claims to have discovered the bodies of approximately 152 dead combatants in a van rigged to detonate.

Russian officials reported finding the dozens of bodies in an Azovstol steel plant after successfully advancing into and taking the Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

The stash of corpses – kept in a van – was reportedly rigged with a booby trap meant to detonate when tampered with, according to Russian authorities. 

"Ukrainian troops left behind a van with 152 dead militants in underground facilities of the Azovstal steel complex in Mariupol and planted mines underneath them on Kiev’s direct instruction as a provocation against Russia," the Russian state news agency claimed. 

RUSSIA CLAIMS IT TESTED HYPERSONIC ZIRCON CRUISE MISSILE

A Ukrainian serviceman stands in a shelter on a position at the line of separation between Ukraine-held territory and rebel-held territory near Zolote, Ukraine, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022.  (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

The Russian government has not yet produced concrete evidence of the alleged incident. Authorities cited "interrogation of captured Azov battalion militants" as their source of information on the van and its contents.

"When examining the van, the Russian combat engineers uncovered four mines planted beneath the bodies of the dead Ukrainian servicemen, with the total amount of explosives sufficient to wipe out all the bodies remaining in the van," a spokesman for the defense ministry said.

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A Russian military court confirmed the dismissal of 115 soldiers in the National Guard unwilling to assist the invading forces in Ukraine. 

The guardsmen were sacked earlier this month for their refusal to participate in an "operation" in Ukraine, according to reports. 

Rescuers work at the site of a train that derailed northwest of Moscow after a bomb exploded. (Reuters)

After being terminated the soldiers appealed the decision. The court's ruling is the first confirmation from the Russian side of the conflict that soldiers are actively refusing to take part in the invasion.