Russian troops began to clear mines and debris on the industrial grounds of the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol on Sunday after hundreds of Ukrainian forces holed up in the vast plant for weeks were ordered to stand down.

It is reported that soldiers walked through the compound and swung mine detectors over roads littered with debris, while others checked under objects for the explosive devices.

Also read: Amid invasion, here’s why Ukraine Parliament banned Russian war symbols

“The task is huge, the enemy planted their own landmines, we had also planted anti-personnel mines while blocking the enemy. So we’ve got some two weeks of work ahead of us,” said a Russian soldier who only gave his nom de guerre Babai.

On Friday, Russia said the last Ukrainian fighters defending Azovstal had surrendered. Ukraine has not confirmed that development, but a commander of one of the units in the factory said in a video that the troops had been ordered to stand down.

Also read: Americans banned from Russia: Updated ‘black list’ includes Biden, actor Morgan Freeman

The fighters who barricaded themselves into the tunnels have given themselves up to Russian and pro-Russian forces.

The end of fighting in Mariupol, the biggest city Russia has captured since its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, gave Russian President Vladimir Putin a rare victory after a series of setbacks in nearly three months of combat.

Sunday’s operation at Azovstal saw mines detonated in controlled explosions and debris cleared from the steelworks’ roads using military bulldozers.

Also read: Man City’s Zinchenko shows tearful support for Ukraine after PL title win

Drone footage showed the steelworks’ buildings left in ruins, many partially collapsed and some just a pile of debris.

“Over the last two days, over a 100 explosives have been destroyed. The work continues,” Babai said.

The full control of Mariupol will give Russia command of a land route linking the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow seized in 2014, with mainland Russia and parts of eastern Ukraine held by pro-Russia separatists.

Also read: Indian doc stuck in Ukraine builds bomb shelter worth Rs 80 lakh for his pets

Moscow calls its actions a “special military operation” to disarm Ukraine and protect it from fascists. Ukraine and the West say the fascist allegation is baseless and that the war is an unprovoked act of aggression.