Civilians will be allowed to leave the Ukrainian city of Mariupol between 1200-1700 Moscow time on Saturday, Russia’s RIA news agency cited city authorities as saying.
Russia said earlier on Saturday its troops which have encircled the Azov Sea port city in Ukraine’s south would stop firing and allow civilians to pass.
“From 1000 am Moscow time (0700 GMT), the Russian side declares a ceasefire and the opening of humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to leave Mariupol and Volnovakha,” Russian news agencies quoted the Russian defence ministry as saying.
At the same time, Ukraine’s Defence Ministry on Saturday said over 66,200 Ukrainian men have returned from abroad to fight.
On Sunday, Ukraine’s embattled president had issued a call to foreign nationals who are “friends of peace and democracy” to travel to the country to fight against the Russian invasion.
The appeal from Volodymyr Zelenskiy, published on the Ukrainian presidency’s website, also said the Ukrainian armed forces were in the process of setting up a foreign legion unit for international volunteers.
