Page 902 - Food Program News Today

The first cease-fire attempted in Ukraine to evacuate desperate civilians collapsed Saturday amid ongoing shelling as Russian and Ukrainian officials traded blame and Moscow tightened its grip on the war-battered country's strategic seacoast.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office said the evacuation effort was stopped because the city of Mariupol remained under fire on Saturday.

The Russian military will observe a ceasefire in two areas of Ukraine starting Saturday to allow civilians to evacuate, Russian state media reported. There was no immediate confirmation from Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials said the work to evacuate civilians from two cities had halted amid shelling, just hours after Russia announced the deal.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Saturday that Ukrainian statehood is in jeopardy and likened the West's sanctions on Russia to "declaring war," while a promised cease-fire in the port city of Mariupol collapsed amid scenes of terror in the besieged town.

Russia-Ukraine war: Russia has declared ceasefire in Ukraine from 06:00 GMT so that residents can leave the encircled Azov Sea city of Mariupol in the Donetsk People’s Republic and has also decided to open humanitarian corridors for civilians. A humanitarian corridor was established for the DPR town of Volnovakha which is also controlled by the Ukrainians.

Ukrainian officials said the work to evacuate civilians from two cities had halted amid shelling, just hours after Russia announced the deal.

Efforts to enforce a temporary halt in hostilities in Mariupol and the eastern city of Volnovakha crumbled when Ukraine accused Russian troops of breaking the ceasefire.

Ukrainian officials said the work to evacuate civilians from two cities had halted amid shelling, just hours after Russia announced the deal.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office said the evacuation effort was stopped because the city of Mariupol remained under fire on Saturday.