Moscow/Kyiv Mar 5 : Russia on Saturday declared a ceasefire from 10 am (Moscow time) and the opening of humanitarian passages to enable civilians to leave Mariupol and Volnovakha, the Russian Defence Ministry said. “Humanitarian passages and exit routes have been coordinated with the Ukrainian side,” the ministry said. “Starting at 10 a.m. Moscow time today, on March 5, the Russian side declares a ceasefire and opens humanitarian passages for civilians to leave Mariupol and Volnovakha,” it said, Izvestia reported. A day earlier, the head of the National Center for Defense Control of the Russian Federation, Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, said that a catastrophic humanitarian situation had developed in most of the territory of Ukraine with a tendency to worsen. According to him, the most difficult situation is observed in Kyiv, Kharkov, Sumy, Chernigov and Mariupol. The office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that Ukraine was ready to ensure the removal and delivery of humanitarian supplies, and that Ukrainian troops would guarantee the safe passage of the corridors. In addition, Ukraine has asked the International Committee of the Red Cross to urgently assist in the creation of humanitarian corridors. On March 3, the second round of talks between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine took place in Belarus. As the head of the Russian delegation Vladimir Medinsky said, Moscow and Kiev discussed the military and international humanitarian issues , as well as the future of the political settlement of the situation. During the negotiations, which lasted more than five hours, an understanding was reached on a number of important issues, including the organization of humanitarian corridors for the civilian population. As the press secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov emphasized, the understanding reached on humanitarian issues is extremely important . RN
