Facts about Russia-Ukraine conflict: Russia says 694 Ukrainian soldiers surrender at Azovstal steel plant

BEIJING, May 19 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine:

Russia said Wednesday that 694 Ukrainian soldiers blocked at the Azovstal plant in Mariupol have surrendered over the past 24 hours, including 29 wounded.

"A total of 959 militants have surrendered since May 16, including 80 wounded," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement, adding that 51 of them are in need of medical assistance and have been admitted to a hospital in Donetsk's Novoazovsk for treatment.

The soldiers began to surrender on Monday following an agreement reached between Moscow and Kiev on the evacuation of wounded Ukrainian soldiers.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has proposed to the parliament extending the current martial law and general mobilization in the country, the state-run Ukrinform news agency reported Wednesday.

Two separate drafts on prolonging the martial law and general mobilization have been submitted to the parliament, according to the parliament's website.

Kiev imposed a 30-day martial law after Russia launched a special military operation against Ukraine on Feb. 24. Since then, the martial law has been extended twice.

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The United States reopened its embassy in Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday, three months after it ceased operation in anticipation that Russia would launch a military operation in the country.

"Today we are officially resuming operations at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv," Blinken said in a statement posted on the State Department's website. Kyiv is the Romanized spelling of Ukraine's capital city based on the Ukrainian language.

The secretary said the United States will "continue to support the government and people of Ukraine as they defend their country" in the ongoing war with Russia.