They agreed 9 humanitarian corridors for Tuesday
It was agreed to open nine humanitarian corridors on Tuesday, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.
An evacuation route from the besieged port city of Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia will be opened, but only for those using private transport. Routes to Zaporizhzhia from Berdyansk, Tokmak and Enerhodar are also expected to open, Vereshchuk said in a Telegram post.
Vereshchuk said buses from Zaporizhzhia were also waiting to pass a checkpoint in Vasylivka.
Evacuation routes to Bakhmut are also expected to be open on Tuesday for those fleeing from several cities, including Sievierodonetsk, Lysychansk, Popasna, Hirske and Rubizhne.
Russian-backed forces deny use of chemical weapons in Mariupol, Interfax reports
Russian-backed separatist forces did not use chemical weapons in their attacks on Mariupol, a separatist commander has said, according to the Interfax news agency.
Separatist commander Eduard Basurin’s claims came after the British and Australian governments said they were investigating unconfirmed reports that Russian forces may have used chemical agents while attacking Mariupol. NBC News has been unable to verify the reports.
On Tuesday, Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said officials were working to verify the reports.
Malyar said that “based on preliminary data, it could have been phosphorus munitions” that were possibly used. NBC News was unable to verify that claim. The deputy defense minister said that “official information” would be delivered later.
Mariupol mayor says more than 10,000 civilians have been killed in besieged port city
More than 10,000 civilians have been killed in Mariupol since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, the mayor of the besieged port city said.
Speaking to The Associated Press, Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko said the bodies are now “carpeted in the streets” of the besieged city. He said the death toll in Mariupol alone could exceed 20,000. NBC News was unable to independently verify the reported death toll.
More than 100,000 civilians remain trapped in a worsening humanitarian situation in the strategic city, as their access to water, heat, medicine and other essentials continues to be blocked. Ukrainian officials have accused Russian forces of blocking humanitarian convoy attempts and hampering efforts to evacuate residents.
Fighting in eastern Ukraine to intensify in coming weeks, UK says
Fighting in eastern Ukraine is expected to intensify “over the next two to three weeks” as Russia continues to refocus its efforts there, the British Ministry of Defense said.
in a intelligence update On Tuesday, he said Russian attacks remained focused on Ukrainian positions near Donetsk and Lugansk, with more fighting taking place around Kherson and Mykolaiv.
He also signaled a “renewed push” toward Kramatorsk, where a recent attack on a train station left dozens dead. Russia has denied responsibility for the attack and has consistently denied targeting civilians in its assault on Ukraine.
He said Russian forces have continued to withdraw from Belarus as they seek to redeploy to support operations in eastern Ukraine.
Almost half of children in Ukraine go hungry, says UN official
Nearly half of the children left in Ukraine amid a brutal war following Russia’s invasion are at risk of not having enough food, a UNICEF official said on Monday.
Manuel Fontaine, the agency’s director of emergency programs, gave the worrying statistic in a United Nations speech in which he also said that two-thirds of Ukraine’s children have been displaced.
“Of the estimated 3.2 million children who have remained at home, almost half may be at risk of not having enough food,” he said. Children and families are under attack in the country, she said.
Fontaine said in a declaration that “the war remains a nightmare for the children of Ukraine”. More than 11 million people have been displaced, either within the country or forced to flee to neighboring countries, she said. Many are women and children.
Reference-www.nbcnews.com