Russia has offered to save the lives of Ukrainian soldiers fighting in Mariupol if they surrender on Sunday.

The Russian government said Ukrainian soldiers and “foreign mercenaries” fighting in Mariupol could lay down their weapons between 06:00 and 13:00 Moscow time (03:00-10:00 GMT) and be safe.

The statement did not specify what would happen to soldiers who refused to stop fighting, but it did state that the offer was made on “purely humane principles.”

Russia says the only remaining Ukrainian troops in the city are contained in a small area around the Azovstal steelworks area.

The statement said Russian forces would “continuously broadcast” details of the offer to the soldiers still at Azovstal every 30 minutes throughout the night.

It also encouraged the troops not to wait for permission to surrender from Kyiv, but to make the decision themselves.