Ukrainian officials say some evacuation buses bound for Mariupol were blocked by Russian troops, and a bus convoy came under fire.
Officials and aid workers say they are preparing to evacuate more civilians from the port city of Mariupol on Friday.
“It’s desperately important that this operation takes place,” the International Committee of the Red CrossThe humanitarian group said Thursday that its teams were traveling with “relief items and medical supplies” and would be ready to lead a “safe passage operation” Friday if all parties agreed on terms.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a Telegram message that more than 600 Mariupol residents reached the Ukrainian-held inland city of Zaporizhzhia on Thursday via “humanitarian corridors.” But Vereshchuk also continued to accuse Russian forces of blocking some humanitarian efforts and said Ukraine is negotiating for the return of supplies-packed buses meant to ferry people out of Melitopol, another southern city, on Friday.
By Thursday evening, dozens of buses had arrived at the outskirts of the Russian-controlled city of Berdyansk to help Mariupol residents evacuate, local authorities said. Vereshchuk said more than 30 buses remain at the city entrance waiting to pick people up and take them to Zaporizhzhia on Friday morning.
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