Ukraine raises alarm as Russia violates ceasefire

The Ukrainian president’s office said evacuations from Mariupol where Russia announced a ceasefire have halted as the invading army resumed shelling.

Earlier, Russia said its forces had stopped firing near two Ukrainian cities on Saturday to allow safe passage to civilians fleeing fighting, but was continuing its broad offensive in Ukraine, where the capital Kyiv came under renewed assault.

The Russian defence ministry said its units had opened humanitarian corridors near the cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha which were encircled by its troops, Russia’s RIA news agency reported.

The Russian defence ministry said a broad offensive would continue in Ukraine, RIA said.Aid agencies have warned of an unfolding humanitarian disaster as food, water and medical supplies run short and refugees stream into western Ukraine and neighbouring European countries.

A Ukrainian negotiator had said on Thursday that a second round of ceasefire talks with Russia had not yielded the results Kyiv hoped for, but both sides had reached an understanding on creating humanitarian corridors.

Mykhailo Podolyak said the two sides envisaged a possible temporary ceasefire in some areas to allow evacuations of citizens.

In the southeastern port city of Mariupol – a key prize – there is no water, heat or electricity and food is running out, according to Mayor Vadym Boychenko.

“We are simply being destroyed,” he said.

Ukraine’s state service of special communications and protection of information says Russian forces have focussed efforts on encircling Kyiv and Kharkiv, the second-biggest city, while aiming to establish a land bridge to Crimea.Kyiv, in the path of a Russian armoured column that has been stalled outside the Ukrainian capital for days, was again under attack, with explosions audible from the city centre.Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne cited authorities in Sumy, about 300 km (190 miles) east of Kyiv, as saying that there is a risk of fighting in the city’s streets, urging residents to stay in shelters.

President Vladimir Putin’s actions have drawn almost universal condemnation, and many countries have imposed heavy sanctions as the West balances punishment with avoiding a widening of the conflict.