Russia Announces Ceasefire In Ukraine
Moscow, March 8: The Russian armed forces have announced a ceasefire from 10 am Moscow time (0700 GMT) so that civilians from a number of Ukrainian cities including Kyiv can be evacuated, the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
“In order to safely evacuate civilians from settlements, a ceasefire is introduced today from 10 o’clock Moscow time and humanitarian corridors from Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Mariupol are opened,” Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told reporters.
Shortly earlier, Ukraine Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said a humanitarian corridor will open from Sumy on Tuesday. “Today, a humanitarian corridor for the city of Sumy should be launched,” she said.
“This was officially agreed with the Russian Ministry of Defense in a letter to the ICRC. That is, both the Red Cross and we, as the party with which the opening of the humanitarian corridor was agreed, have documentary evidence.” Sputnik quoted the official as saying that civilians, including citizens of India and China, will be evacuated from Sumy to Poltava.
Over 500 Indian students are stranded in Sumy. Despite Russia announcing earlier a temporary ceasefire as well as a humanitarian corridor in Sumy, the evacuation of the students could not take place. Vereshchuk announced a ceasefire from 7 am (local time) so that people can leave Sumy via the humanitarian corridor. The first column will start moving along the corridor at 8 am (local time). “No other routes were agreed upon,” she added.
