By Max Burman and Phil Helsel — NBC News
Russia declared a temporary ceasefire in the key Ukrainian port city of Mariupol on Saturday, which it has besieged for days, to allow the creation of humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians.
The ceasefire took effect at 2:00 a.m. ET, and will cover both Mariupol and the smaller, nearby city of Volnovakha, the Russian Defense Ministry said, according to state media.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, noted on Twitter on Saturday morning that evacuation corridors were being prepared and a ceasefire was in effect in those areas.
No further details were provided.
The move comes after a second round of talks between the two countries earlier this week produced an agreement on the issue, albeit with no progress on a broader ceasefire or an end to Moscow's attack on its neighbor.
For days, Russia has surrounded and bombed Mariupol, a large city in the southeast of the country located on the Sea of Azov, affecting critical infrastructure and leaving it without water, heating or electricity.
The strategically important city has remained in Ukrainian hands, but the city council has accused Russia of creating a "humanitarian catastrophe" and hampering food supplies.
A man walks past an apartment building hit by shelling in Mariupol, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 2, 2022.Evgeniy Maloletka/AP