The Russian National Center for Defense Management announced the ceasefire starting at 10:00 local hour, in order to evacuate Ukrainian and foreign civilians from Mariupol to Zaporozhie.
This agency´s head, Mikhail Mizintsev, also reported that Russian troops willl open another route between these cities with an intermediate point in Berdiansk city.
The humanitarian operation is scheduled to be carried out with the participation of the representatives of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Russian Ministry of Defense urged Kiev to respect the ceasefire and ensure the safe passage for bus convoys along the agreed route.
Mizintsev expressed his concern about the section between Berdiansk and Mariupol, which he considered dangerous because of the actions of the subversive and reconnaissance units of the Ukrainian nationalist forces that could carry out provocations against the humanitarian convoys.
The day before, Russian troops evacuated to the territory of Russia 20,495 people from the regions where the clashes are taking place in Ukraine without the participation of the Kiev authorities.
Also from the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, including the city of Mariupol, where they managed to evacuate 3,063 people.
In total, since the beginning of the Russian military operation last February 24, 509,425 inhabitants of Ukraine and the Donbass region, among them 104,807 children, were evacuated to this Eurasian nation.
Mizintsev warned that numerous Ukrainians held hostage by nationalists in the service of Kiev are still looking for opportunities to reach Russian territory.
On Thursday, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereschuk reported that Ukrainian authorities also plan to evacuate through three humanitarian corridors in Mariupol, Melitopol and Energodar.
Prensa Latina
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