Russia on Monday accused Kyiv of preventing civilians trapped with Ukrainian infantrymen in Mariupol’s Azovstal steelworks from leaving the besieged commercial centre despite a ceasefire declaration.
The defence ministry had said it’d permit a civilian evacuation from Mariupol’s sprawling steel plant, which has been sheltering the last Ukrainian resistance within the southeastern port town.
But the Russian army on Monday night stated no one used the proposed humanitarian corridor
“The Kyiv authorities have again cynically undermined this humanitarian operation,” it said in a statement, accusing the Ukrainian government of “indifference” towards its citizens.
Russian troops “from 14:00 Moscow time (1100 GMT) on April 25, 2022, will unilaterally stop any hostilities, withdraw units to a safe distance and ensure the withdrawal of” civilians, the defence ministry had said.
It said the civilians — women, children and the Azovstal staff — would be taken “in any direction they have chosen”.
It added that the Ukrainian side should show “readiness” to start the humanitarian evacuations “by raising white flags”.
According to the ministry, this information would be communicated to those inside Azovstal “via radio channels” every 30 minutes.
Russia this week said it had received full manipulation of the strategic jap Ukrainian metropolis, except for the large Azovstal industrial vicinity.
President Vladimir Putin ordered a blockade of the steelworks, where hundreds of civilians are reportedly sheltering with Ukrainian troops.
