Taking into account the catastrophic situation at the Azovstal metallurgical plant in the city of Mariupol, from 14:00 (Moscow time) on April 19, 2022 the Russian Armed Forces have opened a humanitarian corridor for the withdrawal of Ukrainian servicemen and militants of nationalist formations who voluntarily laid down their arms, Russian Defense Ministry reports.
For this purpose, a ceasefire has been introduced, any hostilities have been stopped, units of the Russian Armed Forces and formations of the Donetsk People's Republic have been withdrawn to a safe distance along the entire perimeter of Azovstal.
In the immediate vicinity of the metallurgical plant, three humanitarian convoys are deployed in three directions:
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The first one is from the western direction on Shevchenko street;
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The second is from the eastern direction on Pobeda avenue;
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The third is from the north direction on Taganrogskaya street.
Each humanitarian convoy consists of 30 buses and cars for transporting people, 10 ambulances with medical and nursing teams. In addition, meeting points and temporary accommodation have been deployed in all three directions, food and primary medical care facilities have been organized.
On all routes of movement of humanitarian convoys, the Russian Armed Forces, together with the formations of the Donetsk People's Republic, strictly observe the ceasefire.
Once again, we call on the official authorities of Kyiv to show prudence, to give appropriate instructions to the militants about ending senseless resistance and leaving the hotbed of resistance. But realizing that the commanders of Ukrainian units may not receive such orders and commands from the Kyiv authorities, we urge them to make such a decision on their own and lay down their arms.
I would like to emphasize that the leadership of the Russian Federation guarantees the preservation of life, complete safety and the provision of qualified medical care to all those who have laid down their weapons. Russia has repeatedly, including through the surrender of Ukrainian marines who have laid down their arms and surrendered in practice, confirmed its humane attitude towards prisoners of war and its full compliance with the norms of international humanitarian law. And this time the Russian side guarantees compliance with the Geneva Conventions on the treatment of prisoners of war.
