Mariupol encirclement tightening - Russian Defense Ministry

MOSCOW. March 5 (Interfax) - The encirclement of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol is tightening, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.

"Forces of the Donetsk People's Republic are continuing to tighten the encirclement of Mariupol," Konashenkov said.

"Militia units that entered the city came under fire of militants from the Azov and Aidar nationalist battalions from positions in schools, hospitals, maternity homes and kindergartens," he said.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported the opening of humanitarian passages at 10 a.m. Moscow time on Saturday and declared a ceasefire so that civilians could leave Mariupol and Volnovakha.

"The humanitarian passages and exit routes have been coordinated with the Ukrainian side," Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.

"At 10 a.m. Moscow time today, on March 5, the Russian side declared a ceasefire and opened humanitarian passages for civilians to leave Mariupol and Volnovakha," he said.

The Russian Defense Ministry said on March 3 that the encirclement of the Mariupol port city was tightening.

The ministry said on March 2 that civilians could leave Mariupol in the eastward direction by the Mariupol-Shyrokyne road.

Mariupol is located on the northern shore of the Sea of Azov. It is a major Ukrainian merchant seaport and a city with a nearly half a million population in the Donetsk region of Ukraine.