Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that about 100,000 people have been evacuated through the evacuation corridors over the past two days.
In the title of a video posted on Facebook late Thursday night, Zelensky said: “One of the main tasks for us today was the organization of humanitarian corridors. Sumy, Trostianets, Krasnopilia, Irpin, Bucha, Hostomil, Izyum. Nearly 40 thousand people were evacuated this Today. They have finally been given safety. In Poltava, Kyiv, Cherkassy, Zaporizhzhya, Dnipro, Lviv.”
He said humanitarian aid, food and medicine had been delivered.
“We are doing everything we can to save our people in cities that the enemy only wants to destroy,” Zelensky said.
Mariupol and Volnovaka, however, remain completely closed, he said, adding that despite efforts by Ukrainian officials to make the corridor a success, “Russian forces did not stop firing.” Regardless, Zelensky said he decided to send a convoy of trucks carrying food, water, and medicine.
But the invaders began a tank attack exactly in the area where this corridor was supposed to be. Life Corridor. For the people of Mariupol.”
Earlier on Thursday: Local authorities in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol said that Russian forces began throwing bombs on the “green corridor” designated to evacuate Mariupol residents.
“At the moment, an aerial bombardment of Mariupol is underway,” said Petro Andryushenko, advisor to the mayor of Mariupol.
“They did it consciously. They knew what they were blocking. They had clear orders to hold Mariupol hostage, torture her and carry out constant bombing,” Zelensky said.
He added: “Today they destroyed the building of the Main Department of the State Emergency Service in the Donetsk region. Immediately next to this building was the place where the residents of Mariupol were to gather for evacuation “
Earlier today, the mayor of Mariupol, Vadim Boychenko, also released an angry video message condemning what he called Russia’s “cynical and destructive war against humanity,” and said every 30 minutes Russian forces were invading the city. The mayor said humanitarian aid could not reach Mariupol for the sixth consecutive day.
Zelensky noted that the state will continue to try to provide assistance to Mariupol to its people, “who desperately need it.”
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