Russia To Open Humanitarian Corridor from Azovstal Plant

Russian inter-agency headquarters on the humanitarian response has announced opening a humanitarian corridor in Mariupol.

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Such a corridor opened by the Russian Armed Forces has the main objective to evacuate civilians from the Azovstal plant in the city, to be operative between 08:00 and 18:00 Moscow time on May 5, 6, and 7.

The announcement  said that "in accordance with the decision of the authority of the Russian Federation, acting out of the principle of humanism, Russian Armed Forces open a humanitarian corridor [operational between 08:00 and 18:00 Moscow time on May 5, 6, and 7] from the Azovstal plant territory for evacuation of civilians (worker staff, women and children), whose presence in the plant’s underground has once again been stated by Kiev authorities."

According to the authorities' statement, all combat will be suspended during this period; in addition, Russian and DPR forces will withdraw to keeping a safe distance, ensuring this way a safe exit for civilians in any chosen direction, either towards the Russian Federation or to territories controlled by Kiev.

On Tuesday, the chief of Russia’s national defense command center, Mikhail Mizintsev, said that Russian military forces had evacuated about 1 103 701 people since the beginning of a special military operation in Ukraine.

Last March, the head of the Russian National Defense Control Center announced the opening of humanitarian corridors in the east and west of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. At the same time, the Center called on the Ukrainian nationalists to allow the passages to function and lay down their weapons.