Putin’s Troops Break Mariupol Ceasefire, Evacuations Halted
The promised ceasefire in Mariupol and Volnovakha failed spectacularly by midday Saturday. Despite Russian claims of a pause from 7am to 2pm UK time, Ukrainian officials reported ongoing attacks on Mariupol.
Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of President Zelenskyy’s office, hit out: “The Russian side is not holding to the ceasefire and has continued firing on Mariupol itself and on its surrounding area.”
Humanitarian Corridor Talks Ongoing, But No Breakthrough Yet
Tymoshenko confirmed discussions are still underway to secure a safe exit route for trapped civilians. Meanwhile, Mariupol’s deputy mayor Sergei Orlov revealed plans to evacuate up to 6,000 people using 50 buses destined for Zaporizhzhia, a city 220km northwest.
Oleksiy Danilov, head of Ukraine’s security council, stressed the urgency: “Creating humanitarian corridors for children, women, and the elderly is question number 1.”
Kremlin Fires Back at West Over Sanctions
Amid the chaos, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused the West of “economic banditry” after fresh sanctions from the UK, EU, and US targeted Russian elites close to Putin.
Peskov warned Moscow would respond firmly but gave no details, insisting Russia is too big to be sidelined. “The world is much larger than just the US and Europe,” he said.
