The agreement between Russia and Ukraine on evacuating civilians from the cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha was halted after Kyiv accused Moscow of violating the local cease-fire agreement and resuming its attacks on residential areas.
Accusing Moscow of breaking a ceasefire, the officials said that the city is still surrounded by the Russian troops while is shelling is still going on in the city areas.
"Due to the fact that the Russian side does not adhere to the ceasefire and has continued shelling both of Mariupol itself and its environs and for security reasons, the evacuation of the civilian population has been postponed," city officials said in a statement on social media, AFP reported.
"At the moment, negotiations are underway with Russia to establish a ceasefire and ensure a safe humanitarian corridor," the statement added.
"The Russian side is not holding to the cease-fire and has continued firing on Mariupol itself and on its surrounding area," said Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office, AP reported.
A seven-hour ceasefire was announced for the Mariupol and Volnovakha cities of Ukraine to set up humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians and delivery of food and medicines.
Earlier, the advisor to Ukrainian President Mykhailo Podoliyak had informed that humanitarian evacuation corridors are being prepared for opening in Mariupol and Volnovakha.
This comes as the Russian defence ministry declared a ceasefire for the evacuation of civilians in Mariupol and Volnovakha, adding that the corridors and the evacuation routes had been agreed upon with Ukraine.
Moscow has seized two key cities in its 10-day-long invasion, Berdiansk and Kherson on Ukraine's southern Black Sea coast.
Meanwhile, raising concerns over the Indian students stranded in Sumy, India on Saturday said that it has urged Russian and Ukrainian governments through multiple channels for an immediate ceasefire to create a safe corridor for our students.
"We are deeply concerned about Indian students in Sumy, Ukraine. Have strongly pressed Russian and Ukrainian governments through multiple channels for an immediate ceasefire to create a safe corridor for our students," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a Tweet.
Reportedly, 20,000 Indians have left Ukraine since MEA's first travel advisory was issued. 16 flights have been scheduled for the next 24 hours including Indian Air Force's C-17 aircraft to bring back stranded Indians.
(with agency inputs)
