The UK has called Russia’s proposed pause in fire in Mariupol a likely “attempt to deflect international condemnation” while they resettled forces for “renewed offensive activity,” the UK Ministry of Defence said Saturday.
Earlier on Saturday, the Russian defense ministry declared a pause in fire in the southeastern cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha to facilitate the opening of evacuation corridors “for the exit of civilians.”
Later Saturday, though, the ministry said that “not a single civilian was able to leave Mariupol and Volnovakha along the announced security corridors,” maintaining that the cities’ civilian populations were being “held by nationalist formations as human shields” in a statement carried by Russian news agency TASS.
“By accusing Ukraine of breaking the agreement, Russia is likely seeking to shift responsibility for current and future civilian casualties in the city,” the UK ministry said in its statement posted to Twitter.
