Kiev Caused Humanitarian Disaster in Ukrainian Cities - Russian Coordination HQ

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The situation in many localities in Ukraine, primarily in large cities, has become a humanitarian disaster due to Kiev's inability to ensure the functioning of humanitarian corridors, Russia's interdepartmental coordination headquarters for humanitarian response in Ukraine said in a statement.

"Due to the incapacity and inability of the Ukrainian side to ensure the functioning of humanitarian corridors, the situation in a large number of settlements on almost the entire territory of Ukraine, primarily in big cities: Kiev, Chernigov, Sumy, Kharkov and Mariupol, is rapidly deteriorating and has acquired the character of a humanitarian disaster," the headquarters said.

"The Russian Federation ensured in full... security on the planned routes during previously announced humanitarian operations to evacuate civilians and foreign citizens," it said.

The headquarters said that without the participation of Ukraine, Russia has evacuated to its territory more than 170,000 people, including over 44,000 children, from the zones of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine.

It said that from 10 a.m. Moscow time (7 a.m. GMT) on 8 March, Russia declares a ceasefire for the exit of civilians from Kiev, Kharkov, Chernigov, Sumy and Mariupol, adding that Ukraine had to notify the population and international organizations about the planned humanitarian operation, as well as to provide written security guarantees for the planned humanitarian routes.

According to the statement, Russia has registered over 2 million requests for evacuation from many localities on the part of foreign embassies and Ukrainian citizens on 5-7 March.

Russia started a special military operation in Ukraine on 24 February in response to calls from the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics (DPR and LPR) to defend themselves from intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defence Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger. Moscow has stressed it has no plans to occupy Ukraine. Western countries have imposed sanctions on Russia.