Moscow said it would open humanitarian corridors to evacuate Ukrainians into Russia at 10 am every morning, Interfax quoted the Russian ministry of defense as saying.

Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov dismissed western reports about an alleged airstrike on a hospital in Mariupol, calling such reports "a totally staged provocation."

"The Russian air forces in Mariupol did not perform any missions whatsoever to strike targets on the ground," he explained.

He also highlighted that the Russian Defense Ministry announced Wednesday a ceasefire for the safe evacuation of civilians in the city of Mariupol.

Following a thorough analysis of the statements made by representatives of the Kiev regime and photographs from the hospital, Konashenkov said, the airstrike "was a totally staged provocation meant to maintain the anti-Russian sentiment among people in the West."

"We have repeatedly said that medical establishments in Mariupol, including hospital No 3, stopped routine operation back in late February. The personnel and patients were driven away by nationalists," he stressed.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday the hospital had long been a base for extremists, and there were no nurses or workers there.

Russia demolished approx 3,000 Ukrainian military facilities

The Russian armed forces have destroyed about 3 thousand facilities of the Ukrainian military infrastructure, spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said Thursday.

"2,998 military facilities were destroyed as a result of strikes against military infrastructure facilities in Ukraine," he revealed.

"68 targets were hit by Russian aircraft, including two targets of the command and control system of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, 12 logistical sites, and 3 OSA anti-aircraft missile systems."

"The Russian air defense systems downed a MiG-29 fighter, three Bayraktar TB-2 UAVs, and a Tochka-U ballistic missile," the defense official continued.

In a briefing, Konashenkov detailed the total Ukrainian losses, which include "98 aircraft, 110 UAVs, 144 air defense anti-aircraft missile systems, 88 radar outposts, 1007 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 109 multiple launch rocket systems, 374 field artillery guns and mortars, and 793 units of special military vehicles."

Russia had launched a special military operation in Ukraine for several reasons, such as NATO's eastward expansion, the Ukrainian shelling of Donbass, and the killing of the people of the Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk People's Republic, in addition to Moscow wanting to "denazify" and demilitarize Ukraine.