Facts about Russia-Ukraine conflict: 50 more civilians evacuated from Azovstal

BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- More civilians were evacuated from the Azovstal plant in Ukraine's port city of Mariupol as Ukraine and Russia on Friday conducted another prisoner exchange. The following are the latest developments regarding the conflict between Russia and Ukraine:

Another 50 civilians, including 11 children, were evacuated from the blocked Azovstal plant in Ukraine's port city of Mariupol on Friday, the Russian military said.

All the evacuees have been handed over to representatives of the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross for transfer to places of temporary accommodation, the Joint Coordination Headquarters of the Russian Federation for Humanitarian Response said.

The humanitarian operation at the Azovstal plant will continue on Saturday, it added.

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Russia expects a balanced stance from Lebanon towards the Russian military operations in Ukraine, said Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Rudakov on Friday.

"We expect from Lebanon to understand the reasons behind the Russia-Ukraine crisis, why Russia started the operation in Ukraine and continues it, and the real goals of this military crisis," Rudakov said during his meeting with Lebanese Information Minister Ziad Makari.

The meeting aimed at discussing bilateral ties between Russia and Lebanon especially in the media field.

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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday welcomed a Security Council statement in which the council "spoke with one voice for peace in Ukraine."

"Today, for the first time, the Security Council spoke with one voice for peace in Ukraine. As I have often said, the world must come together to silence the guns and uphold the values of the UN Charter," the UN chief said in a statement.

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Ukraine and Russia on Friday conducted another prisoner exchange since the start of the conflict, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.

As a result of the swap, 41 Ukrainian prisoners of war, including 13 civilians, returned home following their release by Russian forces, Vereshchuk wrote on Telegram.

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While Western countries are calling for an early cessation of hostilities in Ukraine, "they are doing everything to prevent this" with their actions, a Russian diplomat said Friday.

Arms deliveries to Ukraine are increasing and the United States alone has sent 3.8 billion U.S. dollars worth of military products, Alexei Zaitsev, deputy director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said at a briefing.