Russia announces ceasefire in Ukraine, opens humanitarian corridors
Russian forces announced a ceasefire from 10:00 a.m. (07:00 GMT) for Ukraine's residents in Kiev, Mariupol, Kharkiv, and Sumy to evacuate.
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Emergency workers in Kiev (Getty)
The Russian military forces declare a truce beginning at 10:00 a.m. (07:00 GMT).
The ceasefire would allow for inhabitants of Ukraine's Kiev, Mariupol, Kharkiv, and Sumy to evacuate the city, according to the interdepartmental coordination center for humanitarian assistance in Ukraine on Monday.
In a statement, the response center announced that "Given the catastrophic humanitarian situation and its sharp aggravation in the cities of Kiev, Kharkiv, Sumy and Mariupol, as well as at the personal request of French President Emmanuel Macron to Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, the Russian armed forces announce ceasefire for humanitarian purposes from 10;00 March 7, 2022, and open humanitarian corridors."
The statement added that during the ceasefire, Russia will oversee resident evacuation with the help of drones.
The headquarters added that "We warn that all attempts by the Ukrainian side once again to deceive Russia and the entire civilized world in disrupting the humanitarian operation, allegedly through the fault of Russia, this time are useless and meaningless," adding that the information has been sent to the appropriate bodies of the UN, the OSCE, the ICRC, and other international organizations via all available information means, including the media.
Moscow is awaiting actions from Kiev's leadership, along with leaders of the aforementioned cities.
"We demand that the Ukrainian side strictly fulfill all the conditions for the creation of humanitarian corridors in the above-mentioned directions and ensure an organized withdrawal of civilians and foreign citizens," the statement detailed.
In a phone call with Macron, Putin put the blame on Kiev for failed evacuation attempts from the 10th largest city in Ukraine, Mariupol, which is currently surrounded by Russian troops.
The Russian President drew attention to the fact that Kiev is not fulfilling its agreements regarding the critical humanitarian issue, notably after the signed two agreements to evacuate Mariupol fell amid reports that Ukraine has been breaching ceasefire agreements.
Ukrainian nationalists, according to Putin, prevented civilians and foreign citizens from leaving Mariupol and Volnovakha on Saturday despite the ceasefire agreements.
