Ukraine says Russia preventing opening of humanitarian corridor

By Bahtiyar Abdulkerimov

KYIV, Ukraine (AA) - Ukraine's deputy prime minister said Sunday that despite a deal reached with Russia, the opening of a humanitarian corridor in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol has failed.

The evacuation could not take place as Russian attacks resumed Sunday morning following a partial cease-fire, said Iryna Vereshchuk, who is also minister for reintegration of the temporary occupied territories.

She said Russia once again prevented the opening of the corridor by targeting the road where the evacuation should take place with the humanitarian aid convoy.

She added that the humanitarian aid convoy would consist of eight trucks that would bring food and medicine to Mariupol and that 30 buses would evacuate women, children and the elderly on their return.

Ukrainian authorities announced Saturday that evacuations from the cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha could not proceed due to the violation of the cease-fire by the Russian side.

Earlier Sunday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that Sunday’s attempt to start evacuating an estimated 200,000 people in Mariupol had failed.

At least 364 civilians have been killed and 759 others injured in Ukraine since Russia launched a war in the Eastern European country on Feb. 24, according to UN figures, with the real toll feared to be higher.

More than 1.5 million people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries, according to the UN Refugee Agency.

Russia's war on Ukraine has been met with outrage from the international community, with the European Union, UK and US among others imposing a range of economic sanctions on Moscow.