Azovstal siege: Russia opens Humanitarian corridor

The Russian Defense Ministry announced the opening of a humanitarian corridor for the exit of Ukrainian forces from the territory of the Azovstal plant in Mariupol, the head of the National Center for Defense Control of Russia, Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev said.

According to the Telegram channel of the Ministry of Defense, the corridor opened from 14.00 Moscow time.

The Russian Armed Forces consistently implement their tasks to liberate the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, Defense Minister Sergei Shoygu also said at the meeting of the collegium of the Ministry of Defense, Interfax reports.

“The plan to liberate the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics is being consistently implemented, measures are being taken to establish peaceful life,” Shoygu said.

He also noted that the events of the recent months clearly demonstrate how important it is for Russia to continuously improve its army.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Russian army would work to defend the population of Donbass from acts of “genocide” conducted by the Kiev authorities, as well as to “denazify” and “demilitarize” Ukraine. Shortly before that, Putin announced the recognition of the LPR and the DPR. The parliaments of the republics ratified the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation with Russia.

By the end of March, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that the main tasks of the first stage of the operation had been completed. The combat potential of the Armed Forces of Ukraine had been significantly reduced, Colonel-General Sergei Rudskoy, head of the main operational department of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces said. According to him, this will allow the Russian army to “concentrate its main efforts on achieving the main goal — the liberation of the Donbass.”

The Russian Ministry of Defense also said that it had completed the tasks in Kiev and Chernigov directions. At the first stage of the operation, Russia intended to make Kiev concentrate its forces on fightings for large cities. Afterwards, Russia planned to proceed to the next stage of the military operation to prevent Kiev from using forces in the Donbass.