Russia to open humanitarian corridor from Azovstal at 2:00 pm — Defense Ministry- TASS

Russian troops and the forces of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) will suspend hostilities at 2:00 pm in order to provide civilians who may be trapped at the Azovstal steel complex in the city of Mariupol with the possibility to exit the facility, Head of Russia’s National Defense Management Center Mikhail Mizintsev said on Monday.

According to him, the Russian authorities are once again declaring a humanitarian corridor from Azovstal, which has been open operating round-the-clock for 36 days for the evacuation of civilians, workers, women and children who are trapped at the facility, according to Kiev’s claims.

"Guided by purely humanitarian ideas, the Russian Armed Forces and the forces of the Donetsk People’s Republic will suspend hostilities at 2:00 pm on April 25, retreating to a safe distance, in order to make it possible for these individuals to exit in any direction they choose," said Mizintsev who heads Russia’s inter-agency coordinating center for humanitarian response in Ukraine. He stressed that there were no obstacles preventing the exit of civilians from Azovstal except for the decision to use civilians as human shields, which had been made by the Kiev authorities and the commanders of nationalist units.

"If there indeed are civilians at the steel plant, we strongly demand that the Kiev authorities immediately order the commanders of nationalist units to release them," Mizintsev emphasized. He said that the Ukrainian side should indicate its readiness to launch a humanitarian operation by raising white flags along the entire perimeter of Azovstal or in certain locations. The announcement will be delivered to the Ukrainian forces holed up in the facility through radio channels every 30 minutes. It will also be sent to Kiev by special communication channels through Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk, Mizintsev added.

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