The government in Moscow has approved humanitarian corridors for the Ukrainian cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha. According to Ukrainian media, the ceasefire by Russian troops started around 8 a.m. CET. Food and medicine are to be brought to the two “blocked” cities. At 10 a.m. CET, the first evacuations of civilians should begin. However, there was initially no confirmation of this.
The humanitarian corridor will then be open for five hours, the Russian agency reported RIA Nowosti citing local authorities. According to media reports, around 200,000 people from Mariupol and 15,000 people from Wolnowacha are to be brought to safety organized by the Red Cross.
Mariupol (population around 400,000) is on the Sea of Azov, near the former front line between pro-Russian separatists from eastern Ukraine and the Ukrainian army, Volnowakha to the east and also in the Donetsk region (population just over 20,000). The strategically important port of Mariupol is under a Russian “blockade” after days of “reckless” attacks, according to Mayor Vadim Boichenko of before Moscow’s announcement.