(Kyiv) No evacuation corridor for civilians can be organized Friday in Ukraine, said a Ukrainian government official, deeming the situation too “dangerous” on the roads.
Posted at 6:16 a.m.
“Due to the danger threatening our routes, there will be no humanitarian corridors today,” Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Telegram.
“I am addressing all those who are waiting to be evacuated: wait, please hold on! “, she urged in her post.
On Thursday, three buses carrying evacuees from the besieged port of Mariupol arrived in Zaporijjia, a large city in the south-east, AFP noted.
PHOTO ED JONES, FRANCE-PRESSE AGENCY
One of the coaches that traveled between Mariupol and Zaporizhia
Women and children were in these buses, transported through territories under Russian control thanks to the opening of a “humanitarian corridor” for evacuation after several days during which it had been impossible to use them because of the fights.
Mme Vereshchouk, present when the buses arrived, said the number of people evacuated was lower than expected due to logistical difficulties.
“Only 79 people were able to arrive. There was no ‘green’ corridor”, she lamented, adding that “a lot of people were ‘robbed’ by the Russians”.
Four civilian evacuation buses had managed to leave Mariupol on Thursday morning, but it could not be said with certainty that the buses that arrived in the afternoon were part of this convoy — traveling the 200 km between the besieged port and Zaporizhia can sometimes take several days due to numerous checkpoints.
Kyiv and Moscow have regularly accused each other of frustrating these evacuations since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24.