Ukraine opens nine humanitarian corridors
Kyiv, Apr 14 (EFE).- Kyiv announced on Thursday the opening of nine humanitarian corridors, most in eastern and southern areas, after they were prevented from opening the previous day due to ceasefire violations by the Russian military, according to official sources.
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk announced on Telegram the opening of the humanitarian corridors to allow the evacuation of citizens from areas most affected by the conflict and to bring in basic necessities.
The most problematic is the corridor from the besieged city of Mariupol, which has been surrounded by Russian troops since not long after the invasion on Feb. 24.
In this port city on the Sea of Azov, practically destroyed by bombing, authorities say there remain about 100,000 of the more than half a million residents it had before the start of the war.
Vereschuk reported that from Mariupol, and the nearby cities of Berdyansk, Tokmak and Energodar, a corridor will be established to Zaporizhia that can be traveled by private transport.
Meanwhile, in Luhansk region, a self-proclaimed independent republic recognized by Moscow, corridors will operate subject to the cessation of shelling by the occupying forces.
It is in that area, which is part of Donbas, bordering Russia, that a fierce Russian offensive is expected to take place, given that it is a region where pro-Russian armed groups operate. EFE
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