Shelling by Russian forces halted the civilian evacuations in two Ukrainian cities on Saturday, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office, AP reports.
Driving the news: The firing comes hours after the Russian Defense Ministry agreed on evacuation routes with Ukrainian forces for Mariupol, a strategic port in the southeast, and the eastern city of Volnovakha, per AP.
- “The Russian side is not holding to the cease-fire and has continued firing on Mariupol itself and on its surrounding area,” Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of Zelensky’s office, said.
- “Talks with the Russian Federation are ongoing regarding setting up a cease-fire and ensuring a safe humanitarian corridor,” he added.
- Russian forces also broke the cease-fire agreement in Volnovakha.
- "We appeal to the Russian side to stop firing," Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said, per AP.
The big picture: The Russian military announced Saturday that they would observe a cease-fire in the two areas, but it was not clear how long the agreement would last and how long the civilian routes would stay open.
- The temporary cease-fire came after Russian forces had surrounded the strategic port city of Mariupol and engaged in a continuous assault for more than 30 hours, Axios' Zachary Basu and Dave Lawler reports.
- The city of 400,000 has no electricity or water and has been completely blockaded, according to the deputy mayor, who also estimated that 200 civilians had been killed.
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