The creation of a humanitarian corridor from Mariupol on Sunday, March 6, was disrupted by the Russian side, said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk.
"As you know, we are trying to open humanitarian corridors. Today it was supposed to be Mariupol again. The actions of the Russians are disappointing: they again disrupted the opening of the humanitarian corridor," Vereshchuk said at a briefing on Sunday.
She specified that the agreement to open the humanitarian corridor was reached at night. The gathering of residents for evacuation was planned for the period from 9:00 to 11:00.
"Unfortunately, at about 9:20 a.m. Grady shelling began. The humanitarian corridor never worked. We organized a humanitarian convoy that was to come from Zaporizhzhya to Mariupol. Eight trucks with food and medicine. Thirty buses to help get women, children, and elderly people out of Mariupol on the way back. The Russians again cynically shelled the route our humanitarian convoy was supposed to take," Vereshchuk said.
"Unfortunately, I am forced to state that today we were again unable to open the humanitarian corridor due to Russian shelling," she stressed.
Vereshchuk also recalled that a large number of foreign students from China, Turkey, India and other countries were also among those planned to be evacuated through humanitarian corridors. The Ukrainian side is actively working with the embassies of the relevant countries, and has also notified the Russian side of the presence of foreign nationals in the convoy.
"Mr. Erdogan, Mr. Xi Jinping and the rest. What are we going to do? We will call upon the entire civilized world to say a clear 'No' to such Putin's aggression that kills you, dear citizens of the free world. Together we must say 'Yes' to humanitarian corridors, because it is necessary to save the lives of your citizens," the Minister urged.
