Russia 'ready' for humanitarian ceasefire at Mariupol plant

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Russia's Defense Ministry said Friday that if Kiev's soldiers surrender, it was prepared for a humanitarian ceasefire at Mariupol's Azovstal steel plant, the last Ukrainian forces' fortress in the strategic port.

The goals of the second phase of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine include establishing full control over the Donbass region and southern Ukraine, the acting commander of the Central Military District, Maj. Gen. Rustam Minnekaev, said on Friday.

"Since the beginning of the second phase of the special operation, it has already begun, literally two days ago, one of the tasks of the Russian army is to establish full control over Donbass and southern Ukraine, this will ensure a land corridor to Crimea," Minnekaev said at the annual meeting of the Federation of Defense Industries in the Sverdlovsk Region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a steelworks' blockade, where hundreds of civilians are reportedly sheltering with Ukrainian troops.

"We once again declare that Russia is ready at any moment to introduce a regime of silence and announce a humanitarian pause for the evacuation of civilians," the defense ministry stated.

The ministry added that the ceasefire would begin with Ukraine's forces' "raising of white flags"  "along the entire perimeter or in certain areas of Azovstal."

"If such signs are found in any part of the Azovstal metallurgical plant, Russia's Armed Forces... will immediately stop any hostilities and provide a safe exit," it added. 

According to the ministry, civilians will be escorted to either of the Ukraine-controlled territories or Russia, depending on what they want.

The life of the surrendered Ukrainian soldiers will be "guaranteed", it noted. 

"This statement will be continuously communicated to the Ukrainian formations at Azovstal on all radio channels every 30 minutes," the ministry said.

Second phase to establish control over Donbass, southern Ukraine: Russian Defense

The acting commander of the Central Military District, Rustam Minnikaev, announced today, Friday, that the second phase of the special operation aims to establish control over Donbass and southern Ukraine.

Speaking at the annual general meeting of the Federation of Defense Industries in the Sverdlovsk region, Minnikaev said the second phase of the special operation [in Ukraine], which has already started, two days ago, aims is to establish full control over Donbass and southern Ukraine to provide a land corridor to Crimea.

On March 25, the Russian Armed Forces completed the main tasks of the first phase of the special military operation in Ukraine, significantly limiting the combat capabilities of Ukraine; aiming to liberate the Donbass region. 

On Thursday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced the liberation of the city of Mariupol, which he described as the capital of the Ukrainian neo-Nazi Azov Battalion, noting that the gunmen were trapped in the area of ​​the Azovestal factory.

Yesterday, Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin directed the army to tighten the cordon on the Azovstal industrial zone and not to storm the place to preserve the lives of Russian soldiers.

Moscow has set its goals to eliminate the militarization of Ukraine and Nazi tendencies in this country and to bring to justice all war criminals responsible for the "bloody crimes against civilians" in Donbass.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the armed forces are bombing the military infrastructure and the Ukrainian forces, which are not laying down arms, without affecting the civilian population.