Ukraine says nearly 1,500 more civilians evacuated from conflict zones

By Meiramgul Kussainova

KYIV, Ukraine (AA) - A total of 1,499 more civilians were evacuated from conflict zones in Ukraine over the past day, the country's deputy prime minister said on Saturday.

Civilians from Mariupol, Berdyansk, Pologov, and Vasilevsky were moved to the Zaporizhzhia region via nine humanitarian corridors that were agreed on April 16, said Iryna Vereshchuk.

She added that they managed to evacuate 68 civilians despite intense clashes in the Luhansk region, however, they had to cancel the evacuation in the Lysychansk city due to the attacks by Russian forces.

Russia's war on Ukraine has drawn international condemnations, with the US, UK, and European Union, among others, imposing a host of sanctions on Moscow.

At least 1,982 civilians have been killed and 2,651 injured in Ukraine since the start of the war on Feb. 24, according to UN estimates, with the true figure believed to be much higher.

More than 4.8 million Ukrainians have fled to other countries, with over 7 million more internally displaced, said the UN refugee agency.