Russia announces plans for humanitarian corridors in Ukraine on Tuesday

MOSCOW:

Russia

said Monday it will open

humanitarian corridors

the next day to allow civilians to evacuate from several Ukrainian cities, including the capital

Kyiv

and the port city of Mariupol, Russian news agencies reported.

"From 10:00

MSK

(0700

GMT

) on March 8, 2022 the

Russian Federation

is declaring a 'regime of silence' and is ready to provide humanitarian corridors," said a cell of the Russian defence ministry charged with humanitarian operations in Ukraine.

It listed evacuation routes from Kyiv as well as Mariupol,

Kharkiv and Sumy

-- all of which have been under heavy Russian attacks in recent days.

The defence ministry cell said the Ukrainian authorities had so far been "unable to ensure the functioning of humanitarian corridors", noting that the situation in many Ukrainian cities "has deteriorated rapidly and has acquired the character of a humanitarian disaster".

According to Moscow, the new evacuation routes will be communicated to the Ukraine authorities by midnight GMT.