Kiev created humanitarian disaster in Ukrainian cities: Russian Coordination HQ

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The situation in many Ukrainian cities, particularly large cities, has devolved into a humanitarian disaster as a result of Kiev's inability to ensure the operation of humanitarian corridors, according to a statement issued by Russia's interdepartmental coordination headquarters for humanitarian response in Ukraine.

"Due to the incapacity and inability of the Ukrainian side to ensure the functioning of humanitarian corridors, the situation in a large number of settlements on almost the entire territory of Ukraine, primarily in big cities: Kiev, Chernigov, Sumy, Kharkov and Mariupol, is rapidly deteriorating and has acquired the character of a humanitarian disaster," the headquarters said.

"The Russian Federation ensured in full... security on the planned routes during previously announced humanitarian operations to evacuate civilians and foreign citizens," it added.

Furthermore, the headquarters stressed that Russia has evacuated more than 170,000 people, including over 44,000 children, from the zones of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine without the participation of Ukraine.

It stated that beginning at 10 a.m. Moscow time (7 a.m. GMT) on March 8, Russia will declare a ceasefire to allow civilians to leave Kiev, Kharkov, Chernigov, Sumy, and Mariupol, and that Ukraine must notify the population and international organizations about the planned humanitarian operation, as well as provide written security guarantees for the planned humanitarian routes.

On March 5-7, Russia received over 2 million requests for evacuation from various locations from foreign embassies and Ukrainian citizens, according to the statement.

It is worth mentioning that the director of operations at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that a road designated as a humanitarian corridor out of Ukraine's Mariupol turned out to be mined.

Dominik Stillhart added that the ICRC was leading a convoy of displaced Ukrainian civilians out of the southern port city on Sunday. He did not specify which faction was suspected of mining the route.

Russia announced Monday that it will open humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to be evacuated from several Ukrainian cities amid the fighting, including the capital Kiev and Mariupol.

Yet, the Ukrainian neo-Nazi Azov Battalion opened fire on civilians during their evacuation from Mariupol on Sunday, resulting in the death of two people and the injury of four others.

It is worth mentioning that the Russian and Ukrainian delegations have met three times in Belarus to discuss the terms of a ceasefire as well as the establishment of humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of Ukraine's civilian population from areas of hostilities.

On February 24, Russia launched a special operation to demilitarize and "denazify" Ukraine in response to DPR and LPR calls for assistance in countering Ukrainian troop aggression. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the special operation is only targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure and poses no threat to civilians. Moscow has repeatedly stated that it has no intention of occupying Ukraine.