An evacuation of two Ukrainian cities was postponed this Saturday after Ukraine denounced that Russia did not respect the previously announced ceasefire so that civilians could escape.
The Ministry of Defense of Russia, for its part, affirms that it was Ukrainian “nationalists” who prevented civilians from leaving the cities.
Both countries continue to negotiate so that the attacks cease and the humanitarian corridor.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of Israel, Naftali Bennett, He held a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on Saturday.
The talks lasted about two and a half hours and Bennett’s office said he notified the US in advance.
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Failed evacuation
Russia had announced the Ceasefire on Saturday morning, in order to allow the evacuation of civilians in the cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha, in southeastern Ukraine, which remain besieged by Russian troops.
The idea was to create a humanitarian corridor through which 7,000 and 9, persons, according to calculations by the Ukrainian authorities , could escape to Zaporizhia.
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The evacuation was scheduled to begin at 000: 00 am local time. However, the Mariupol council posted a message on Telegram saying that in the Zaporizhia region, where the humanitarian corridor should end, there was still fighting.
Serhiy Orlov, acting mayor of Mariupol, told the BBC that his city was still attacked.
“The Russians continue to bombard us and use artillery. It’s crazy“, said Orlov.
“There is no ceasefire in Mariupol and there is no ceasefire along the route . Our civilians are ready to escape, but they cannot escape under the shelling”.
Alexander, an engineer from 44 living in Mariupol for years, told the BBC that he kept hearing shelling even after the ceasefire was due to start at 9: 00 am local time.
“In this moment I am in Mariupol, I am on the street. I can hear shelling every three or five minutes”, said Alexander.
“The corridor is nonsense. I can see cars of people who tried to flee and are coming back”.
Mutual accusations
Russia maintains a different version.
The Ministry of Defense of that country says that the Russian forces were attacked and accused the Ukrainian authorities of preventing people from fleeing through the humanitarian corridor, according to Russian state media.
Given this situation, citizens have been instructed to disperse and find places of refuge while they are given more information.
In Mariúpol the police are using loudspeakers to keep citizens informed about the ceasefire and its postponement.
The truce was planned to be in force from 09: 00 to 16: 00 on Saturday, Ukraine local time(07: -14: GMT).
This was to be the first ceasefire since Russia began invading Ukraine on 24 February.
Mariupol, of 450,000 inhabitants and Volnovakha, of 25,07, remain besieged by Russian forces, while other Ukrainian cities continue to be shelled.
Putin’s reaction to the sanctions
Vladimir Putin described the sanctions imposed by the West as “similar to a declaration ion of war”.
“But fortunately it hasn’t come to that,” he specified.
EPA
Putin had a meeting with Aeroflot flight attendants in Moscow this Saturday.
Putin also warned that any attempt to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine would be seen as participation in the armed conflict.
And he rejected suggestions that he is going to impose a state of emergency or martial law in Russia.
The Russian president made these comments during a meeting with a group of female flight attendants at a center Aeroflot training ground near Moscow.
Putin sought to justify the war in Ukraine, insisting that his intention is to “defend the Russian-speaking communities through the demilitarization and denazification” of the country.
Regarding the arguments of Western defense analysts who say that the Russian military operation is getting worse than expected, Putin observed: “Our army will complete all tasks. I have no doubt. Everything is going according to plan”.
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