Russia's defence ministry on Friday said the last group of Ukrainian forces holed up in Mariupol's Azovstal steelworks had surrendered, marking an end to a weeks-long attack that left the city in ruins.

The full abandonment of the bunkers and tunnels of the bombed-out plant by the Azov Regiment means an end to the most destructive siege of a war that began when Russia invaded Ukraine nearly three months ago.

"The territory of the Azovstal metallurgical plant... has been completely liberated," the ministry said in a statement. It said....