Russia announces ceasefire for evacuations but battles continue

Lviv (Ukraine): Russia announced yet another limited ceasefire and the establishment of safe corridors to allow civilians to flee some besieged Ukrainian cities Monday.

But the evacuation routes led mostly to Russia and its ally Belarus, drawing withering criticism from Ukraine and others. Ukrainian officials accused Moscow of resorting to “medieval siege” tactics in places, and in one of the most desperately encircled cities, the southern port of Mariupol, there were no immediate signs of an evacuation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces continued to pummel some cities with rockets even after the announcement of corridors, and fierce fighting raged in places, indicating there would be no wider cessation of hostilities.

Efforts to set up safe passage for civilians over the weekend fell apart amid continued shelling. But the Russian Defence Ministry announced a new push on Monday, saying civilians would be allowed to leave the capital of Kyiv, Mariupol and the cities of Kharkiv and Sumy. The countries’ foreign ministers are scheduled to meet in Turkey on Thursday. — AP

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