Residents of the besieged Ukrainian port city of Mariupol are given the chance to leave the city. Russian troops temporarily laid down their weapons there so that ‘humanitarian corridors’ can be set up for the civilian population, the Russian defense ministry said.
Elsewhere, the offensive continues
It is not yet clear how long the weapons will remain silent. In the rest of Ukraine, the Russian offensive continues, the ministry added to RIA news agency.
According to the same news agency, citizens can leave the cities unhindered between 12:00 and 17:00 local time. That is between 10am and 3pm our time.
Mariupol has about 450,000 inhabitants. The port city on the Sea of Azov, in southeastern Ukraine, has been under heavy fire for days from Russian troops.
Mayor Vadim Bojchenko issued a cry for help on Friday about the humanitarian situation in his city. Residents are without running water, electricity and heating. Food shortages would also threaten. “Our priority is to negotiate a ceasefire so that we can restore vital infrastructure and create a route to get food and medicine into the city,” he said.