The Russia and Ukraine government have agreed to a 12-hour ceasefire in order to safely evacuate citizens from badly battered areas including the capital Kyiv. However, The Ukrainian government said that Moscow had bombed a humanitarian corridor to the besieged southern port of Mariupol Tuesday.
Russia on Tuesday opened "humanitarian corridors" so people could be evacuated from Kyiv and four other Ukrainian cities: Cherhihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Mariupol.
In another incident, ten civilians died when Russian troops open fired at building and residential homes in the eastern Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk, a local official says.
Images of desperate citizens fleeing besieged Ukrainian cities on Tuesday started doing the rounds on social media. These citizens are fleeing through the agreed upon ‘Humanitarian Corridor’. According to United Nations the number of refugees crossed two million in what could be Europe's fast-growing refugee crisis since World War II.
Civilians were seen evacuating from Bucha and Irpin areas northwest of Kyiv. Visuals that emerged suggested that they were crossing over the river on makeshift walkways of planks and mangled metal at the site of the bridge that was earlier destroyed in a bid to hamper any Russian advance.
Civilians are forced to travel on foot with their belongings, children and pets, in icy wind and blinding snow.
Intense shelling and airstrikes that Russia unleashed on Ukraine as part of their ‘special military operation’ have caused heavy damage in and around the town.
Russian troops are reportedly encroaching on Kyiv despite intense efforts by Ukrainian forces, and moving faster through the east and north of the country.
Russia on Tuesday opened "humanitarian corridors" so people could be evacuated from Kyiv and four other Ukrainian cities: Cherhihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Mariupol.
Ukraine, however, accused Russia of attacking a corridor from the beleaguered southern port city of Mariupol, where aid workers said tens of thousands were living in "apocalyptic" conditions.
Kyiv has branded the corridors a publicity stunt as many of the exit routes lead into Russia or its ally Belarus. Both sides accuse each other of ceasefire violations.
Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognised Ukraine's breakaway regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - as independent entities.
