Russia and Ukraine have agreed on the establishment of a “humanitarian corridor”, to allow civilians to leave the besieged Ukrainian city of Sumy, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.
“It has been agreed that the first convoy will start at 10 am (1.30 pm IST) from the city of Sumy. The convoy will be followed by the local population in personal vehicles,” she said in a televised statement.
Russia said that humanitarian corridors have been opened from Cherniakhiv, Kharkiv, Kyiv and Mariupol as well, reported news agency Interfax citing Russian defence ministry.
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Meanwhile, fears of an energy war between Russia and the West grew after the United States pushed its allies to ban Russian oil imports.
Russia warned it could stop the flow of gas through pipelines from Russia to Germany in response to Berlin’s decision last month to halt the opening of the controversial new Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
After the first wave of refugees from Ukraine there is likely to be a second wave consisting of more vulnerable refugees, the head of the UN refugee agency said Tuesday.
“If the war continues we will start seeing people that have no resources and no connections,” UNHCR head Filippo Grandi told a news conference. “That will be a more complex situation to manage for European countries going forward, and there will need to be even more solidarity by everybody in Europe and beyond,” he said. (Reuters)