After appealing to the mayor Mariupol, the port city of Ukraine, Opening humanitarian corridors, stressing that they are surrounded by Russian forces. Moscow announced today, Saturday, a ceasefire to allow the evacuation of civilians from two cities in eastern Ukraine, one of which is the strategic port of Mariupol, after consultations between representatives of Kyiv and Moscow.
“The Russian side announced a ceasefire as of 07:00 GMT and opened humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians from Mariupol and Volnovakha,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement, according to state media.
In coordination with the Ukrainians
It also added that the locations of humanitarian corridors and exit points were determined in agreement with the Ukrainian authorities.
But at the same time, she stressed that the large-scale military operation is continuing, noting that 2,037 military sites have been targeted by the Ukrainian army since its launch.
On the other hand, the Mariupol City Council accused Moscow of not adhering to the cease-fire to allow civilians to leave, pointing out that the shooting continues in the area, which impedes the transportation of civilians.
Earlier, the local authorities called on motorists to take as many civilians as possible with them.
Other cities too
For his part, the adviser to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry announced that there will be more arrangements with Russia to open other corridors to evacuate civilians from areas on the front lines.
“There will certainly be more similar arrangements for all other regions,” he added, referring to an ongoing evacuation plan in the coastal city of Mariupol, which is besieged by Russian forces.
Siege and violent attack
And Mariupol Mayor Vadim Boychenko announced earlier today that the port of the city in the east of the country is under a “siege” imposed by the Russian army and “violent” attacks. “We are currently looking for solutions to humanitarian problems and all possible ways to get out of the siege,” he said in a message on the “Telegram” account of the city of about 450,000 people, which overlooks the Sea of Azov, according to what AFP reported.
The importance of Mariupol
It is noteworthy that the control of Mariupol is a strategic matter for Russia, as it will allow it to link its forces in the Crimea (south) and those in the breakaway regions of Donbass (east).
Both Ukrainian and international demands have risen during the past days, with the continuation of the Russian military operation that began on February 24, in order to open humanitarian corridors and remove civilians.
From Mariupol (Archyde.com)
The United Nations also stressed the importance of preserving civilian lives and not targeting residential sites.
While the Russian and Ukrainian delegations agreed on Thursday in the second round of negotiations to open corridors to evacuate civilians, to resume the third round tomorrow or after, in order to reach a ceasefire, although the Russian President reiterated yesterday that he is continuing the military operation until achieving The goals, including the disarmament of the western neighbor, which he considers “a threat to the security of the Russian Federation.”