Ukraine calls humanitarian corridors ‘immoral’ as civilians can only flee to Russian territory

Moscow announced a pause in fighting from 8 a.m. (Dutch time) on Monday morning to allow residents of Kiev, Kharkiv, Sumy and the port city of Mariupol to escape through “humanitarian corridors”. Proposals Ukraine received from Russia showed that most escape routes led to territory controlled by Russia, Belarus or pro-Russian separatists.

Moscow has suggested that the corridors established were the result of discussions between him and Macron. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said he hoped French President Emmanuel Macron “understands that his name and his genuine willingness to help are being misused and manipulated by Russia.”

Vereshuk demanded that residents of attacked towns also move to Ukrainian-controlled areas. According to Vereshchuk, the corridors are still not open, despite Russian promises.

Six humanitarian corridors for fleeing populations

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced Monday morning that there are six humanitarian corridors through which the population can flee. From the capital Kiev, whose suburbs are under heavy fire, there is only one corridor to Gomel in Belarus. Most city dwellers won’t want to take this route, except for some ethnic Russians in Kyiv.

The same goes for Kharkiv, which has been under heavy fire from the Russian army for days. From this city there is only a “humanitarian corridor” to Belgorod in western Russia. Residents of Sumy, not far from the Russian border, are also allowed to settle in Belgorod. This time there is also an escape route to Poltava, which is still in Ukrainian hands. It crosses an area that the Russians already partly control.

Residents of Mariupol, which is surrounded by Russians and pro-Russian separatists, have the option of fleeing down a corridor to the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don. Part of the Russian inhabitants will opt for this. The others must leave the city by a road that leads to Zaporizhzhya, still through territory controlled by the Russians.

Situation in Mariupol desperate due to lack of water and electricity

The situation is desperate, especially for the people of Mariupol. The water supply has been cut off for days, as has the electricity, while the Russians and separatists constantly bombard the city. Two previous attempts to allow residents to escape failed as shelling resumed almost immediately.

It seems that Moscow has deliberately chosen the evacuation routes to Russia and Belarus, in the hope that some Russians will thus leave the besieged cities. In all four cities, they make up a significant portion of the population. Of course, if many of them are killed, it will negate President Putin’s claim that Russia invaded Ukraine to save them.