Sharjah24 – AFP: The Ukrainian port city of Mariupol was to evacuate residents Saturday after invading Russian forces declared a temporary ceasefire to open a corridor for civilians to flee one of the war's fiercest battles.
Russia had blockaded the strategic city, which proudly resisted a siege by Moscow-backed rebels during a 2014 conflict only to find itself again a target, and cut off electricity, food, water and heating in the dead of winter.
The evacuation will be seen as a prelude to a final assault by Russian forces that, if successful, would see their invading army pushing north from occupied Crimea link up with their force from the east and win control of Ukraine's coast on the Sea of Azov.
After the Russian defence ministry declared a ceasefire to allow "humanitarian corridors" out of Mariupol and neighbouring Volnovakha, Mariupol officials announced on social media that the city's 450,000-strong population could begin to leave by private transport from 0900 GMT.
The siege of Mariupol came as more Russian forces inched closer to the capital Kyiv, encountering stiff resistance and shelling civilian areas in the western suburbs and the northern town of Chernihiv, where there have been heavy civilian casualties in recent days.
Ukraine's defence minister Oleksiy Reznikov alleged that Russia had changed its tactics after encountering tough Ukrainian resistance that had defeated its apparent plan to quickly storm major cities and overthrow President Volodymyr Zelensky's government.
For an optimal experience, please
