Russia’s prosecutor general has asked the supreme court to recognize Ukraine’s Azov regiment as a “terrorist organization”, Interfax news agency reported, citing the Russian justice ministry’s website.

Russia’s supreme court is scheduled to hear the case on 26 May, Interfax reports.

Moscow has depicted the Azov Regiment as one of the main perpetrators of the alleged radical anti-Russian nationalism or even Nazism from which it says it needs to protect Ukraine"s Russian-speakers, writes swissinfo.ch.

The Kremlin said the combatants would be treated in line with international norms, while Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar posted a video in which she said: “An exchange procedure will take place for their return home”.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that President Vladimir Putin had guaranteed that the fighters who surrendered would be treated “in accordance with international standards”.