Several humanitarian corridors in Ukraine, including from the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, will be open today for civilians to evacuate, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.
In a video address, Vereshchuk said Ukraine plans to evacuate residents of several towns and villages in the regions of Kyiv and Sumy and some other areas where there is ongoing combat.
It follows repeated failed attempts this week to allow a humanitarian convoy to reach Mariupol, where civilians remain trapped without power or mobile phone network, and water and food are running out.
Vereshchuk said today:
I hope that the day will go well, all the planned routes will be open and Russia will fulfill its obligations to guarantee the ceasefire regime.
Earlier, Vadym Denysenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s minister of internal affairs, said on state television that humanitarian corridors in Ukraine could open on Saturday.
At least 1,582 civilians in Mariupol have been killed as a result of Russian shelling and a 12-day blockade, the city council said in an online statement on Friday. The Guardian has not been able to verify casualty figures.
#WarDay #17 #NewsOfTheDay Green corridor opened to #Mariupol ???? it doesn’t get missiles like the previous 3. The city has been besieged for 13 days.
— Lesia Vasylenko (@lesiavasylenko) March 12, 2022
