Nationalist units did not allow a single civilian to leave Mariupol and Volnovakha along the agreed routes during the silence regime, so the Russian Armed Forces resume offensive operations in Ukraine, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.
“Not a single civilian could leave Mariupol and Volnovakha along the announced security corridors. The population of these cities is being held by nationalist formations as human shields,” Konashenkov stressed. Due to the unwillingness of the Ukrainian side to influence the nationalists or extend the silence, offensive operations have been resumed from 18:00 Moscow time, he added.
“Units of the Russian Armed Forces are advancing on a broad front and have taken control of the settlements of Malaya Tokmachka, Marfopol, Removka, Novokarlovka, Orlinskoye, Volodino and Malinovka,” the representative of the Ministry of Defense concluded.
Earlier today, the deputy head of the People’s Militia Department of the DPR, Eduard Basurin, said that 17 people were able to use the humanitarian corridor in Mariupol. The Mariupol City Council, in turn, announced the postponement of the evacuation time.
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that the Russian Armed Forces will observe a regime of silence in Ukraine from 10:00 Moscow time on March 5. In agreement with the Ukrainian side, humanitarian corridors were opened for the evacuation of the civilian population from Mariupol and Volnovakha. The Ministry of Defense also emphasized that Ukrainian nationalists block the exit of civilians from these cities, they also mined several exits and threaten civilians with physical violence for insubordination.
On March 3, the defense department reported that a “humanitarian catastrophe” was imminent in Mariupol, where about half a million people live. The defense department said that tens of thousands of residents were blocked in Kyiv, Kharkov, Sumy, Odessa, Mariupol and other cities, who were not allowed to go to “safe places”.
On February 21, Russia recognized the independence of the DNR and LNR. On February 22, Vladimir Putin signed federal laws on the ratification of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance treaties with these territories, including military assistance.
On February 24, Putin announced the start of a special military operation in the Donbass. He called its goal “the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years.” The President assured that Russia has no plans to occupy Ukraine, but Moscow will strive for the demilitarization and denazification of this country. As Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov explained, NATO bases with nuclear weapons were to appear on the territory of Ukraine.