Russia-Ukraine war: Mariupol evacuation on hold as Russia violates ceasefire
A city official reported that shelling continued in his area on Saturday despite the deal, a sign of the fragility of efforts to stop fighting across the country.
FollowThe Ukrainian President’s office has halted the evacuation of its citizens through a humanitarian corridor, accusing Moscow’s troops of breaking a ceasefire meant to allow civilians to leave the city within a five-hour window.
“Due to the fact that the Russian side does not adhere to the cease-fire and has continued shelling both of Mariupol itself and its environs and for security reasons, the evacuation of the civilian population has been postponed,” city officials said in a statement on social media.
Negotiations are under way with Russia on how to “ensure a safe humanitarian corridor,” Mariupol city authorities have said on Telegram. The evacuation of people from Mariupol has been postponed because Russian forces are not abiding by Saturday’s ceasefire agreement, they said.
“We ask all Mariupol residents to disperse and head to places where they can shelter. More information about the evacuation will be posted soon,” municipal officials wrote.
Mariupol, a southern city of about 450,000 people on the Azov Sea, was scheduled to begin the evacuations at 0900 GMT, after Russian forces agreed a ceasefire to allow civilians to leave the fighting.
The Russian defence ministry said earlier in a statement it had agreed on evacuation routes with Ukrainian forces for Mariupol, a strategic port in the southeast, and for the eastern city of Volnovakha.
But a city official reported that shelling continued in his area on Saturday despite the deal, a sign of the fragility of efforts to stop fighting across the country.
Mariupol deputy mayor, Serhiy Orlov, also earlier told British broadcaster BBC, “The Russians are continuing to bomb us and use artillery. It is crazy...There is no ceasefire in Mariupol and there is no ceasefire all along the route. Our civilians are ready to escape but they cannot escape under shelling.”
