Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky accused the Russian army on Monday of having failed to evacuate civilians through humanitarian corridors, which had to be established after negotiations.
“There was an agreement on the humanitarian corridors. It worked? In their place were Russian tanks, Grads [lanzacohetes] Russians, Russian mines,” Zelensky said in a video posted on the Telegram social network.
The Ukrainian president accused Russian forces of “undermining the agreed route to bring food and medicine” to the besieged city of Mariupol in southern Ukraine and “destroying buses” to evacuate civilians from combat zones.
Ukraine and Russia discussed humanitarian corridors, but attacks continue to rage
“They make sure that a small corridor is opened to the occupied territory, for a few dozen people. Not so much towards Russia as towards the propagandists, directly to the television cameras,” Zelensky added, accusing Moscow of “cynicism.”
The Ukrainian leader indicated however that Kiev would continue negotiating with Russia to reach a peace agreement.
“I stay here, I stay in Kiev (…) I am not afraid,” Zelensky continued.
Russia had announced local ceasefires and humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians in several besieged cities in Ukraine on Monday morning. But the Ukrainian government has refused to evacuate civilians since four of the six corridors proposed by the Russians go to that country or to its neighbor and ally, Belarus.
Targeted attacks on civilians with snipers and “hand-to-hand” fighting in the streets of the outskirts of Kiev
Following new negotiations on Monday, Russia announced local truces in several Ukrainian cities (Sumy, Kharkov, Chernigov and Mariupol) starting at 07:00 GMT on Tuesday in order to evacuate civilians.
Russia said that the Ukrainian authorities had so far been “unable to ensure the functioning of humanitarian corridors”, noting that the situation in many Ukrainian cities “has rapidly deteriorated and has taken on the character of a humanitarian catastrophe”.
According to Moscow, the new evacuation routes will be communicated to the Ukrainian authorities, who must give their approval before 00:00 GMT on Monday night, the deadline set by Russia. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
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