Ukraine Gate – Kyiv – March 18, 2022- Nine corridors to evacuate civilians from towns and cities badly hit by Russian attacks have been agreed for Friday, according to the Ukrainian government.
For the second day running, one of the agreed corridors links the besieged southeastern city of Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia, which remains under Ukrainian control.
Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said there were plans to deliver humanitarian aid to the towns of Balakleia and Izium to the southeast of Kharkiv.
Some context: According to Vereshchuk, almost 800 private cars left Mariupol on Thursday, with more than 2,000 people making it through Russian-occupied territory to the city of Zaporizhzhia by mid-evening.
It is the first time in many days that a corridor out of Mariupol had been agreed, though Vereshchuk made no mention of whether a planned humanitarian convoy destined for the besieged city had been allowed to leave Berdiansk by Russian forces.
Elsewhere, 36 tons of food and medicine were delivered to the towns of Hostomel and Bucha to the northwest of Kyiv, as well as three villages to the northeast of the capital — areas which have seen some of the worst Russian artillery and rocket fire.
One planned corridor between Kharkiv and Vovchansk, close to the Russian border, failed to operate due to shelling by Russian forces, Vereshchuk said.
