Media reports have said that Russia has announced a humanitarian ceasefire in Ukraine for Wednesday morning for the evacuation of the civilian population.
Mikhail Mizintsev, head of Russia’s National Defence Control Centre, was quoted as saying by the Tass news agency that Russian forces would “observe a regime of silence” from 10 am Moscow time (0700 GMT) to ensure safe passage for civilians wishing to leave Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Mariupol.
It was unclear if the proposed routes would pass through Russia or Belarus, conditions previously opposed by the Ukrainian government. Civilians fled the besieged city of Sumy on Tuesday in the first successful “humanitarian corridor” opened since Russia’s invasion. Ukraine accused Russian forces of shelling another evacuation route, from Mariupol in the south of the country.
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Meanwhile, a US ban on imports of Russia’s oil has also sparked a further increase in the oil price. Prices have surged more than 30% since Russia invaded its neighbour on February 24.
Russia – the world’s second-largest exporter of crude – has warned the cost will skyrocket further if the West implements bans.
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Despite the prospect of higher household bills, US President Joe Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin needed to face consequences for the assault.
As for the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has described its actions as a “special operation” to disarm Ukraine and unseat leaders it calls ‘neo-Nazis’. Ukraine and Western allies have continually called this a baseless pretext for a war of choice that has raised fears of wider conflict in Europe.
