Fresh bid to let civilians out

Russia brings in cease-fire in efforts for humanitarian corridors to hold in 4 Ukrainian cities

Russia's Defense Ministry on Monday announced a temporary cease-fire to enable residents to leave four Ukrainian cities via humanitarian corridors.

Taking into account the "catastrophic humanitarian situation and its sharp aggravation in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy and Mariupol", the decision was made at the request of French President Emmanuel Macron to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the ministry said in a statement.

But the Elysee Palace said no such request was made, with Macron insisting on "the respect of international humanitarian law, the protection of civilian populations and the supply of aid".

The announcement represents the latest effort to firm up humanitarian corridors from cities in Ukraine, with moves to evacuate people from the Black Sea port city of Mariupol failing on two prior occasions amid recriminations from both sides.

On Monday, Russia published evacuation routes from the designated four Ukrainian cities, and reported the information to the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the International Committee of the Red Cross, according to the ministry. The cease-fire and humanitarian corridors were taking effect from 10 am that day.

Moscow demanded that the Ukrainian authorities establish the conditions for the creation of humanitarian corridors and ensure an organized withdrawal of civilians and foreign citizens, the Russian statement said.

Ukraine rejected Moscow's offer of establishing humanitarian corridors to Russia and Belarus, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said later on Monday. "This is not an acceptable option," she said.

Since Russia announced a special military operation against Ukraine on Feb 24, the two sides have had two rounds of negotiations in neighboring Belarus in search of a solution to the crisis. An agreement to open a humanitarian corridor for civilians to get out arose from the second meeting, on Thursday.

A new round of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia got underway on Monday afternoon, with the talks to focus on humanitarian corridors, a Russian negotiator was reported as saying.

The latest moves came after another night of advances by Russian forces from the air, land and sea. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded that Moscow take full responsibility over the civilian deaths.

The two prior attempts to let thousands of civilians leave Mariupol collapsed after civilians came under fire, with each side accusing the other of agreement violations.

'Human suffering'

On Sunday, the failure of the second evacuation coincided with the International Committee of the Red Cross saying some 200,000 people were trying to leave the port city, with "devastating scenes of human suffering".

There was no letup in the violence from fighting that spilled overnight into Monday. Air raid sirens rang out in cities across the country, and there was an intense aerial bombardment of Kharkiv, which has endured almost nonstop fire in recent days.

Russia's Defense Ministry accused the Ukrainian security forces of planning to blow up a reactor at the National Research Center of the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology.

The Ukrainians in turn accused the Russian Armed Forces of launching projectiles at an experimental nuclear reactor.

The United Nations' nuclear watchdog on Sunday expressed "deep concern" over reports that communication from Europe's largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine has been disrupted.

Russian forces seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine on Friday.

On Monday, Russia said the country backs International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi's idea of a trilateral meeting with Ukraine on ensuring the safety of nuclear facilities there but not at Chernobyl as Grossi wants, Moscow's envoy to the watchdog said.

On the economic front, Russia approved on Monday a list of foreign states and territories that commit unfriendly actions against Russia, its companies, and citizens, according to the TASS news agency.

The affected countries included those in the European Union, the United States, Britain and Japan.

Xinhua and agencies contributed to this story.

renqi@chinadaily.com.cn