Ceasefire to be declared in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, Mariupol starting 10:00 a.m., humanitarian corridors to be opened - Russian staff

MOSCOW. March 7 (Interfax) - Russia has declared a ceasefire starting 10:00 a.m. on March 7 and will open humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians from Kyiv, Mariupol, Kharkiv, and Sumy, the Russian interagency humanitarian response staff in Ukraine said on Monday.

This has been done taking into account the humanitarian situation and at the French president's personal request to the Russian president, it said.

"Taking into account the disastrous humanitarian situation and its severe deterioration in the cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, and Mariupol, and also at French President Emmanuel Macron's personal request to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Russian Armed Forces are declaring a ceasefire and opening humanitarian corridors for reasons of humanity starting 10:00 a.m. on March 7, 2022," the staff said.

Some of the corridors provide for the evacuation of civilians from Ukrainian cities to Russia.

From Kyiv, people will be evacuated via Hostomel, Rakivka, Sosnivka, Ivankiv, Orane, Chernobyl, and Gden (Belarus) to Gomel (Belarus), from where they would be transported to Russia by air.

From Mariupol, people will be evacuated via two routes. Route 1 goes via Novoazovsk and Taganrog to Rostov-on-Don, from where people would be transported by air, by train, or by bus to planned destinations or temporary accommodation centers. Route 2 goes via Portovske, Manhush, around Mykilske, via Respublika, Rozivka, Bilmak, Polohy, and Orikhiv to Zaporizhzhya.

From Kharkiv, people will be evacuated via Nekhoteyevka to Belgorod, from where they would be transported by air, by train, or by bus to planned destinations or temporary accommodation centers.

From Sumy, people will be evacuated via two routes. Route 1 goes via Sudzha to Belgorod, from where people would be transported by air, by train, or by bus to planned destinations or temporary accommodation centers. Route 2 goes via Holubivka, Romny, Lokhvytsya, and Lubny to Poltava.

The interagency humanitarian response coordination staff in Ukraine has been set up under the Russian Defense Ministry and is operating round the clock, chief of the Russian National Defense Control Center Mikhail Mizintsev said on March 2.