PRESS RELEASE : Ukraine calls on Russia to observe ceasefire commitments where humanitarian corridors will work on March 9 – Iryna Vereshchuk

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 9 March 2022.

Deputy Prime Minister – Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk calls on the Russian Federation to adhere to its official commitments to ensure the evacuation of civilians through the humanitarian corridors agreed upon with the participation of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

As Iryna Vereshchuk said at the briefing, at 5:30 am on March 9, Ukraine received a message from the Russian side regarding the approval of routes previously proposed by our state, as well as a message about sending a letter to the ICRC with such approval.

“The military has agreed to cease fire from 9:00 to 21:00 this day. So, today from 9 o’clock in the morning the ceasefire regime is introduced on the following routes: Enerhodar – Zaporizhzhia, from Sumy in the direction of Poltava, from Mariupol in the direction of Zaporizhzhia, from Volnovakha of the Donetsk region in the direction of Pokrovsk of the Donetsk region, from Izyum of the Kharkiv region in the direction of Lozova of the Kharkiv region, as well as from the cities of Vorzel, Bucha, Borodyanka, Irpin, Hostomel of the Kyiv region to Kyiv via Stoyanka, Bilohorodka,” Iryna Vereshchuk said.

Separately, she stopped at Vorzel, where there is an orphanage with about 55 children and 26 staff members. There will be a separate operation to evacuate this facility.

The Deputy Prime Minister stressed that the Russian Federation has undertaken a formal public commitment to cease fire from 9 am on March 9. At the same time, Iryna Vereshchuk noted that there is already a negative experience when the undertaken commitments did not work. It was in the directions Mariupol – Zaporizhzhia and Volnovakha – Pokrovsk.

“I am addressed by the residents of Volnovakha who are asking for the promise of the Russian Federation to be fulfilled today, so that people can leave the places where they are now hiding from Grads and the devastating fire that is killing them. We urge the Russian Armed Forces to adhere to their commitments and cease fire from 9:00 to 21:00. As we agreed,” Iryna Vereshchuk said.