Ukraine war: Mariupol evacuation halted again as Russia 'regroups forces'
The Ukrainian military said pro-Russian forces had continued shelling the areas that were meant to be safe while their enemies argue it was they who failed to observe the limited ceasefire.
Sunday 6 March 2022 20:46, UK
A second attempt at evacuating civilians from Mariupol collapsed after Russians "began to regroup their forces and continued heavy shelling", the city council has said.
Conditions are "extremely dangerous", it added.
Earlier, the Ukrainian military said pro-Russian forces had continued shelling the areas that were meant to be safe.
But Russian authorities accused Ukraine of failing to observe the limited ceasefire.
It is reported only a few hundred people have managed to escape the besieged port city, while the city council had aimed to evacuate more than 200,000 people.
The UK Ministry of Defence said the agreement was "violated within hours of its planned implementation".
It added: "Russian artillery strikes on the city have likely remained at the high level seen in recent days."
The MOD continued: "As with yesterday, Russia has accused Ukraine of breaking the ceasefire agreement. This is probably an additional attempt to diminish responsibility for civilian casualties caused by continued Russian strikes on the city."
Ukraine invasion: Live updates
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said the failed attempts underscored the "absence of a detailed and functioning agreement between the parties to the conflict" and it reminded them of their obligations to "respect international humanitarian law and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure".
Many residents have been sleeping in shelters to escape days of near-constant bombardment by encircling Russian forces that has cut off food, water, power and heating supplies, according to the authorities.
The operation to allow them to leave, which follows a thwarted bid on Saturday, had been due to get under way at midday, with buses taking people along a safe "green" corridor through Portovskoye, Rozovka and Zaporozhye.
Other key developments:
• Ukraine's leader urges Russians to protest and 'overcome evil' as Putin demands surrender
• Ukrainians count the human cost of the invasion
• 'Putin must fail' - PM's six-point plan for resolving crisis ahead of talks with world leaders
• Visa and Mastercard announce suspension of operations in Russia
• China warns US not to 'add fuel to the flames' as Russia continues attack
A safe corridor was also to be created out of the city of Volnovakha.
A previous attempt to set up a humanitarian corridor out of Mariupol was abandoned on Saturday with Ukraine accusing Russia of continuing to shell the area and Moscow claiming Ukrainian "nationalists" were not allowing civilians to leave the city.
The ICRC said the only way for it to happen safely was for both parties to agree a specific time and location of the evacuation routes, to agree on who exactly may be allowed to move - and whether the agreement also allowed assistance to be brought into cities.
Meanwhile, the UK's Ministry of Defence later said Russia's offer of a ceasefire was likely a ploy to distract attention away from it resetting its forces for a renewed attack.
Mariupol mayor Vadym Boychenko said thousands of residents had gathered for safe passage out of the city on Saturday when shelling began and the evacuation was stopped.
The 44-year-old said: "They've been working methodically to make sure the city is blockaded.
"They will not even give us an opportunity to count the wounded and the killed because the shelling does not stop."
Follow the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Having come to office in 2015 hoping to modernise the city, he said: "We were creating the conditions for people to have a comfortable life and dream for the future. And now they're taking this future from us.
"Right now I feel like they're tearing away my heart and soul."
Capturing Mariupol could allow Russia to establish a land corridor to Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.
Read more:
Five miles away from Kyiv, this town is being heavily bombed - and civilians are fleeing however they can
Nuclear threat, No-fly zones and who is Zelenskyy? - Ukraine crisis explained
'Welcome to Hell' - the message facing Russian invaders as Kyiv prepares for the fight of its life