Ukrainian officials have denied Moscow’s claim that it has declared a cease-fire in the besieged city of Mariupol, accusing Russian troops of continuing to shell the city and commit human rights abuses against civilians..
Russia’s defense ministry said on Thursday that its forces had opened a humanitarian corridor from Mariupol to allow civilians to leave the city, which has been under heavy bombardment for weeks. The ministry said the cease-fire would last from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Moscow time (8 a.m. to 3 p.m. GMT)..
However, Ukrainian officials said there was no evidence of a cease-fire and that Russian forces were continuing to shell the city. Mariupol’s mayor, Vadym Boichenko, said that Russian troops had shelled a school where hundreds of civilians were sheltering, killing at least 40 people..
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also denied Moscow’s claim of a cease-fire, saying that Russian forces were continuing to attack Mariupol and other Ukrainian cities..
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