Russia says more than 704,000 people evacuated from 'dangerous areas' in Ukraine

By Dmitri Chirciu

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia’s Defense Ministry said Saturday that more than 704,000 people have been evacuated from "dangerous areas" in Ukraine.

Around 26,676 people, including 3,447 children, were taken to Russia in the last 24 hours, and to date 704,434, including 135,153 children, have been evacuated, Col.-Gen. Mikhail Mizintsev, director of the Russian National Center for Defense Management, said in a statement.

Meanwhile, a total of 134, 299 people were rescued, including 716 in the past 24 hours, through a humanitarian aid corridor in the eastern direction from Mariupol.

Mizintsev reiterated that Russia provides humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians from Kharkiv and Mariupol every day beginning at 10 a.m. Moscow time.

An additional corridor is provided from Mariupol to Berdyansk, he added, noting that Russia is ready to open additional corridors in any direction and evacuate civilians when necessary and the Ukrainian side said 10 humanitarian corridors will be opened.

*Writing by Seda Sevencan