Moscow: Alleging that Ukraine continues to hold 6,224 foreign nationals from 11 countries hostage as human shields, the Russian authorities have charged that it with not providing any humanitarian corridors towards the Russian side though they announced 10 corridors in the Zaporozhye and Donetsk directions for April 14.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Russian authorities said that in strict compliance with the norms of international humanitarian law, it continues to provide comprehensive assistance to the population of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, as well as to civilians and foreign nationals in the “liberated territories” of Ukraine.
They also said that they are ready to deploy humanitarian corridors in any other directions as soon as possible and to ensure the safe evacuation of civilians and the Russian forces strictly observe the ceasefire on all routes, including those declared by the Ukrainian side.
The Russian side said that despite all the difficulties and obstacles imposed by the Ukrainian side, over the past day, without the participation of Kiev, 14,606 people were evacuated from dangerous areas, 2,328 of them children, and in total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 798,237 people have already been evacuated, of which 149,419 are children.
“The state border of the Russian Federation was crossed by 104,487 personal vehicles, of which 138,014 people have already been rescued from the lawlessness of the nationalists, including 815 from Mariupol via a humanitarian corridor to the east, without any involvement of the Ukrainian side.”
Furthermore, 76 foreign vessels from 18 countries remain blocked in Ukrainian ports. The threat of shelling and high mine danger created by Kiev in its internal waters and territorial sea prevents vessels from safely leaving the ports and reaching the open sea, however the Russian Federation is opening daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Moscow time) a humanitarian corridor, which is a safe lane south-west of Ukraine’s territorial sea, 80 nautical miles long and three nautical miles wide, they added.
“Once again, we call on the International Maritime Organisation and the management of ship-owning companies to influence Kiev to take measures aimed at unblocking and securing the departure of foreign vessels from Ukrainian ports,” Russian military officials said.
They also said that more than 9,500 temporary accommodation centres continue to operate in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and are fully equipped with recreational facilities and hot meals. The refugees are treated individually and provided with qualified medical and psychological assistance.
A sufficient number of buses have been placed at the border crossing points to transport people to their chosen places of residence or to temporary accommodation centres.
The Russian authorities also said that since March 2, 11,663.8 tons of humanitarian cargo have already been delivered to Ukraine, 820 humanitarian actions have been carried out, including six actions in Kherson region, as well as in Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, during which 226 tons of basic necessities, medicines and food were transferred to the civilian population of the liberated areas.
