Russian military sources say there are reasonable suspicions that some of Azov's leading group do not want to surrender and are considering either continuing to hide in underground tunnels or committing suicide.
"Before being taken prisoner, the Nazis smashed their phones and tablets to avoid finding material that would make it easier to prove their guilt in war crimes," said Alexander Khodakovsky, the founder of the Donetsk "Vostok" battalion.
All this while the trials of the neo-Nazis began in Russia Denis Muryga, a member of the "Aidar" Battalion that fought in Kherson, has been arrested and is on trial.
Military Commander Yuri Kotenok estimated that in two days about 1,600 Azov fighters had already surrendered.
Thus, "a minority remains" including the leaders of the "Azov", "Volyn" and "Radish" Battalions.
"Theoretically, I understand that one of the 'Bandera trio' does not yet want to surrender alive to the 'cursed Muscovites' and will try to commit suicide. Why do it? "For example, out of fear," says the military commander.
The scenario of the suicide of the leaders of "Azov" is confirmed by the phrase of the former head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Arsen Avakov.
The leading team of the Azov Order consists of "Kalyn", "Volyn" and "Radish" known as Denis Prokopenko. There are already reports that the first one was handed over. But not the other two."
The deputy commander of the Azov Battalion, Svyatoslav Palamar, nicknamed "Kalyn", surrendered to "Azovstal", military sources said.
"Now the Donetsk state security services are cooperating with him," said a Russian military correspondent. However, a military commander from Donetsk said that "Kalyn should not have surrendered, but committed suicide with so many crimes he has committed."
So let me make sure I understand what you are saying.
If a soldier smashes his phone, and his solid state drive is in pieces, like literal pieces. Deformed, torn from stress, fractured pieces, good chance they were superheated from a failed lithium battery, that you (YOU) could get USABLE data from it?
This is kind of a trick question so think carefully, not that I'm an expert by any means, coming from 28 years in IT, (including non-gov't data recovery).