Ukraine, Russia agree to day-long ceasefire after successful evacuation of Sumy

Ukraine, Russia agree to day-long ceasefire after successful evacuation of Sumy

A fresh ceasefire in the north-eastern city of Sumy is to begin shortly to allow civilians to flee to relative safety

FPJ Web DeskUpdated: Wednesday, March 09, 2022, 02:08 PM IST
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An elderly woman lies on a stretcher in Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, on Tuesday | AP

AFP reported that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a day-long evacuation process along humanitarian corridors, according to a Ukrainian official.

The latest ceasefires are part of a series of announcements by the Russian defence ministry of pauses in fighting in key cities, including Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Mariupol.

A fresh ceasefire in the north-eastern city of Sumy is to begin shortly to allow civilians to flee to relative safety.

Some 5,000 people were evacuated from the city on Tuesday, which has seen fierce Russian bombardment for days.

It has emerged that 22 people, including three children, were killed in air strikes on the city overnight.

Russian state media said corridors will also be set up for Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv and Mariupol - although previous efforts have failed.

Meanwhile, the UN says over two million refugees have now fled the country since Russia invaded.

While fighting continues north and north-west of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv as Russian forces continue their offensive, Moscow has said that Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba will meet in Antalya, Turkey, on Thursday.

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