An evacuation corridor had been agreed with the Russians for the besieged Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, Ukrainian officials said Thursday, APA reports citing CNN.
The Ukrainian side received a message through the International Committee of the Red Cross confirming Russian readiness to open a "humanitarian corridor" from Mariupol through the city of Berdiansk, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a statement on Telegram.
"On the route to Mariupol we are sending 45 buses," she said. "28 buses have to get a permit to pass through the Russian checkpoint in Vasylivka. Also, 17 buses have already left Zaporizhzhia. We will do everything possible to ensure that buses arrive in Mariupol today and pick up people who haven't yet been able to leave the city."
Additional corridors had been agreed for delivery of humanitarian aid and evacuation of people from the city of Melitopol, Vereshchuk said, and for a column of people in private vehicles to leave the city of Enerhodar for Zaporizhzhia.
"Our military has fully confirmed and guarantees a full ceasefire," Vereshchuk said. "So at 9 a.m. we start the evacuation."
Kyrylo Tymoshenko, a senior official in President Volodymyr Zelensky's office, also confirmed 45 buses would be sent to support the evacuation plan.
Ukrainian officials say around 90% of the buildings in the city have been damaged or left uninhabitable after weeks of intensive bombardment by Russian forces.
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