MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Russia announces ceasefire Wednesday to activate humanitarian corridors

Russia intends to involve the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the relief operation

Russia will declare a temporary ceasefire Wednesday to provide for the functioning of humanitarian corridors from Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Mariupol, it was announced Tuesday.

“The Russian Federation declares a temporary ceasefire starting 10:00 a.m. Moscow Time on March 9, 2022, and stands ready to ensure the functioning of humanitarian corridors,” Russian National Defense Control Center Chief Mikhail Mizintsev said in a statement.

Russia proposed that non-combatants could leave Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Mariupol, and Chernihiv for Russia, as well as for other Ukrainian cities in coordination with local authorities.

“From Kyiv and the surrounding populated areas to the Russian Federation, via the Republic of Belarus to Gomel and then by air to the Russian Federation, and in the southern direction in coordination with the Ukrainian side,” the document states.

”Said statement shall be immediately communicated to the Ukrainian side (Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Andriyivna Vereshchuk), proposing that the indicated routes and the start of the functioning of humanitarian corridors be coordinated by 3:00 a.m. Moscow Time on March 9, 2022,“ it said.

”Before this time, a written agreement of these approaches, including guarantees of security along the declared routes of a humanitarian operation on the part of the Ukrainian authorities, shall be submitted to the Russian Federation's interagency humanitarian response coordination staff in Ukraine,” it said.

Russia proposed communicating this statement on the planned humanitarian operation to the embassies of foreign states, specialized United Nations institutions, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and other international organizations through all information resources available, including media outlets.

“To practically facilitate the evacuation of civilians and foreign citizens along agreed-upon routes during the humanitarian operation starting from 9:30 a.m. Moscow Time on March 9, 2022, continuous communication shall be established between the Russian and Ukrainian sides to mutually exchange information on preparing and carrying out the evacuation of civilians and foreign citizens,” it said.

(Source: Interfax)