Russia refused to guarantee a ceasefire to evacuate people from Mariupol. The Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Iryna Vereshchuk on air of the TV marathon.
"We didn't manage to open a humanitarian corridor. Russia didn't confirm the ceasefire guarantees, so we'll keep trying tomorrow," – Vereshchuk said, answering the question about whether the civilians' evacuation attempt from Mariupol succeeded on Sunday.
She also emphasized that the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres should raise this question during his visit to Russia on 26 April.
"We're not asking anymore, we demand from the UN to secure the ceasefire and opening of the humanitarian corridor from the "Azovstal" as well as from Mariupol in general… There are 1000 women and children in "Azovstal" now and on top of it – 500, maybe even more wounded, almost 50 people require urgent qualified treatment… That's what Mr. Guterres should discuss in Moscow if he's going to talk about peace… Any other agreements will have no value because the most important thing the UN can do that no one else can is to open the humanitarian corridor," – the Minister added.
The Secretary-General will come to Ukraine on 28 April.
The russian army caused one of the biggest humanitarian catastrophes in Mariupol. The invaders are bombing civilians, and blocking humanitarian aid and evacuation passages. The mayor of Mariupol has stated that more than 20 thousand peaceful citizens have been killed in the city since the russian invasion started.
On 24 April, Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a talk with the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during which he stressed the necessity of the urgent evacuation of the civilians from Mariupol, particularly – from the "Azovstal" plant.
Deputy Commander of the "Azov" regiment Svyatoslav Palamar has previously made a video address concerning the civilians and the military garrison evacuation from Mariupol. He emphasized that the civilians who are hiding from russian shellings at the "Azovstal" plant can't leave their basements. They're afraid because despite the russian forces' claims about the ceasefire the shellings continue. Palomar called for compliance with the security guarantees and stressed that it's only with the support of a third party that the civilians can leave the plant.
The commander of the 36th Marine Brigade Serhiy Volyna called on Germany to act as a guarantor of evacuation.