Russia declares brief ceasefire for evacuations in 2 cities

Russia on Saturday declared ceasefire in two Ukraine cities. "Today, Saturday March 5, from 09 am Moscow time, the Russian side declares a regime of silence and opens humanitarian corridors for the exit of civilians from Mariupol and Volnovakha," news agency AFP quoted the defence ministry as saying. While the residents have been told to leave the cities, there is no confirmation, however, on how long the evacuation process will continue.  Russian forces also cut its electricity, food, water, heating and transportation in the depths of winter, prompting comparisons to the Nazi blockade of Leningrad in World War II. Capturing Mariupol, a city of about 450,000 people on the Azov Sea, would represent a bigger prize for Russian forces as it would deal a severe blow to Ukraine's maritime access and connect troops coming from annexed Crimea and the Donbas.

The ceasefire is declared for 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. today. The evacuation of civilians is set to start at 11 a.m.

Mariupol, of 440,000 people, and Volnovakha, of 21,000 people, have been largely cut off water, heat, and electricity.

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 5, 2022

Creating humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians was agreed upon by Russian and Ukrainian officials during their second round of talks in Belarus aimed at resolving the crisis. Ukrainian presidential aide Mikhail Podolyak said that about 200,000 people are trying to evacuate Mariupol, while 20,000 people want to leave Volnovakha in the Donetsk region, Sputnik reported.At present, Volnovakha and Mariupol are being blockaded by forces from the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, two separatist organisations in Ukraine.