Russia to hold fire in Ukraine, to open humanitarian corridors for citizens to escape

A man carries a woman as they cross an improvised path while fleeing the town of Irpin, Ukraine. Pic AP/PTI

Russian armed forces said on Monday that it will hold fire and open humanitarian corridors in some Ukrainian cities from 10 am (Moscow time, about 12.30 pm IST) to allow civilians to escape at the "personal request" of French President Emmanuel Macron to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, state media reported.

In a statement, the Russian military said, "Given the catastrophic humanitarian situation and its sharp aggravation in the cities of Kiev, Kharkov, Sumy and Mariupol, as well as at the personal request of the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, the Russian Armed Forces announce a ceasefire and open humanitarian corridors...," Sputnik News reported.

The four mentioned cities are currently under a "significant" Russian assault operation, said the BBC. However, authorities in Ukraine are yet to confirm this development.

Over the weekend, two efforts to open a route to allow civilians to evacuate from Mariupol in the country's south-east collapsed, said the BBC report. Ukrainian officials said this was because Russia continued to shell the city during the agreed ceasefire hours.

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