Russia has declared a temporary ceasefire and humanitarian corridor for the evacuation of civilians in the cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha. On Saturday morning, there will be reports of a ceasefire.
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The case is being updated.
Mariupol City Council says Russian forces are not complying with an agreed ceasefire along the entire length of a planned route for the evacuation of civilians, reports Reuters.
– We are negotiating with the Russian side to confirm the ceasefire along the entire evacuation route, they write in a statement.
Kyiv refuses to open corridors in Kharkiv and Sumy, says the Russian Ministry of Defense, according to Ria.
“Because the Russian side does not comply with the ceasefire and continues to attack both Mariupol and the surrounding area, and for security reasons, the evacuation of the civilian population has been postponed,” the city authorities said in a statement on social media, according to NTB.
The deputy mayor of Mariupol, Sergei Orlov, says BBC that the city is still under attack.
– The Russians continue to bomb and use artillery. It’s madness, says Orlov to the channel.
– There is no ceasefire in Mariupol and there is no ceasefire along the evacuation route. Our civilians are ready to escape, but they can not when they are shelled, says Orlov.
The evacuation route is Mariupol – Nikolske – Rozivka – Polohy – Orikhiv – Zaporizhzhia, according to The Guardian.
Huitfeldt: Terrible
Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt reacts strongly to reports of a ceasefire.
– It’s absolutely awful. We must get a solution for the civilian population – they are the ones who suffer the most from this meaningless war, Huitfeldt says to VG.
She made an appeal in front of the Storting on Saturday morning, when Amnesty held a rally in support of Ukraine.
–Humanitarian corridor
The Russian news agency Interfax reported on the ceasefire on Saturday morning.
– We have agreed on humanitarian corridors and exit routes with the Ukrainian side, writes the Russian Ministry of Defense according to the news agency.
According to Reuters, the Russian news agency RIA reports that civilians will have the opportunity to leave the cities from 10.00 to 15.00 Norwegian time.
Reuters also writes that the city council of Mariupol confirms that the evacuation will start at 11.00 local time.
Adviser to the President of Ukraine Volodmoyr Zelenskyj, Mykhailo Podolyak, confirmed the ceasefire in a post on Twitter.
Volnovakha is a city in the Donetsk Oblast province. The city has about 25,000 inhabitants.
About 400,000 people live in Mariupol.
–– Classic propaganda stunt
Lieutenant Colonel and head teacher at the Norwegian Defense College, Geir Hågen Karlsen, believes the ceasefire is a PR stunt on the part of the Russians.
– This means that the Russians get PR points. In previous conflicts, they have made a point out of humanitarian corridors, white trucks and the like, says Karlsen to VG.
– They bet that they actually care about human life – in contrast to Ukraine and the West. That is the image they are trying to create. This is a classic propaganda stunt, says the lieutenant colonel.
He emphasizes, however, that one must wait and see how the ceasefire looks, but adds:
– This must be met with a great deal of skepticism. If it is carried out, they put on a show.
According to Karlsen, the Russians used the grip in 2014 and 2015 in connection with the conflicts in the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine.
– We have seen this quite often. It is a huge paradox when they have surrounded and bombed the cities for several days, says the lieutenant colonel.
–According to Karlsen, a temporary ceasefire is a simple move for the Russians.
– It costs nothing. It has always been criticized for being a prank, he says about previous use of the ceasefire.
On Saturday morning, Reuters writes that the Russian news agency RIA reports that the Russian Ministry of Defense says that the major offensive continues in Ukraine.
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