Ukraine's Mariupol officials announce evacuation via humanitarian corridors

The Mariupol City Council announced the evacuation of civilians via humanitarian corridors on Sunday, a day later than the initially agreed upon date with Russia.

"A ceasefire will be established today, March 6, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time [08:00 to 19:00 GMT]. The evacuation of the civilian population begins at 12:00," the council announced on Telegram.

It added that civilians will be able to evacuate from Mariupol from three places by bus or leave the city on private transport.

The evacuation was delayed by a day, which was blamed by both Russia and Ukraine on the other side. Russia maintained that the Ukrainian forces prevented people from leaving the city on Saturday, while the Ukrainian authorities blamed the delay on Russian forces violating the ceasefire that was agreed upon.

According to the Donetsk authorities, 17 people managed to flee from Mariupol, and 36 others were taken out of the city by buses with an escort of the republic's police on Saturday.

Russia and Ukraine had agreed to organise humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians in the second round of talks in Belarus on March 4.

Meanwhile, the Mayor of the South-Eastern city of Mariupol Vadym Boychenko informed on Saturday that the city has been blockaded by the Russian forces, after days of sustained attacks.

Mariupol, with a population of 450,000 people, is of strategic importance to Russian forces, as by taking Mariupol, they can complete a land corridor that would link Crimea with southern Russia, reported CNN.

The third round of talks between Russia and Ukraine may take place on March 7, according to Sputnik News Agency.

Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognized Ukraine's breakaway regions, Donetsk and Luhansk as independent republics followed by the announcement of a "special military operation" to "demilitarise" and "denazify" Ukraine.