Russia announced on Wednesday evening that its forces would cease fire for three days from Thursday on the Azovstal steelworks in the Ukrainian port of Mariupol and open a humanitarian corridor to evacuate civilians.
"The Russian armed forces will open a humanitarian corridor from 08:00 to 18:00 Moscow time (05:00 to 15:00 GMT) on May 5, 6 and 7 from the site of the Azovstal metallurgical plant to evacuate civilians," the official said. Department of Defense.
"During this period, the Russian armed forces and the units of the Donetsk People's Republic (unilaterally proclaimed by the pro-Russian separatists, editor's note) will cease fire and hostilities unilaterally," the ministry continued in a statement.
fierce fighting
Civilians who have taken refuge in the factory will be allowed to reach Russia or the territories under the control of kyiv, according to this text.
Read alsoWar in Ukraine: is the Azovstal site about to fall?
Earlier in the day, the mayor of the port city of Mariupol, Vadim Boïtchenko, had affirmed that "violent fighting" was underway, although Moscow had assured not to attack this huge factory where both Ukrainian fighters and civilians.
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to help "save" the injured at the Azovstal site.
