Source Interdepartmental Coordination Staff on Humanitarian Response in Ukraine

MOSCOW, Russia--The situation in a large number of settlements throughout Ukraine, primarily in major cities: Kiev, Chernigov, Sumy, Kharkov and Mariupol, rapidly worsens and has turned into a real catastrophe.

The Russian Federation ensured the preparation and security of the planned routes during the previously announced humanitarian operations for the evacuation of the civilian population and foreign citizens in Ukraine.

Without Ukraine's participation, the Russian side has currently managed to withdraw from the zones of the special military operation in the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republic, Ukraine to the territory of the Russian Federation 173,773 people, of them 44,187 children, as well as 19,969 units of personal vehicles.

Currently, these citizens of Ukraine are in temporary accommodation points, in hotels, health resorts and boarding houses, provided with hot food. children go to schools, kindergartens, temporary issues are promptly solved.

Despite the irresponsible attitude of the Ukrainian side to the life and health of ordinary civilians, including foreigners, the Russian Federation is ready for the next humanitarian steps to give safe passage for the civilian population from all settlements.

Given the persistent and continuous appeals of foreign embassies, as well as numerous direct requests of Ukrainian citizens on evacuation, the Russian Federation is ready to prepare and carry out a humanitarian operation.

But its performance depends only on the Ukrainian side: key issues of the preparation of the humanitarian operation and ensuring the security of the peaceful population during their evacuation from settlements where Kiev's nationalists and paramilitary take all measures to prevent the exit of people, are completely in the competence of the Kiev authorities.

For the efficiency of the humanitarian operation:

1. From 10:00 (Moscow time) March 8, 2022, the Russian Federation declares "silence mode" and is ready to provide humanitarian corridors:

From Kiev and surrounding settlements to the Russian Federation through the territory of the Republic of Belarus to the city of Gomel with subsequent delivery by air transport to the Russian Federation, to the southern direction - agreed with Ukraine;

From Chernigov through the territory of the Republic of Belarus to Gomel with subsequent delivery by air transport to the Russian Federation, to the southern direction – on agreement with the Ukrainian side;

From the city of Suma, along two routes in Poltava and to the territory of the Russian Federation in Belgorod, further air, railway and roads to the selected destinations or paragraphs of temporary accommodation, in the southern direction - in coordination with the Ukrainian side;

From Kharkov to the territory of the Russian Federation to Belgorod – then by air, rail and road transport to selected destinations or points of temporary accommodation, to Lviv, Uzhgorod, Ivano-Frankivsk - on agreement with the Ukrainian side;

From Mariupol on two routes to the territory of the Russian Federation to Rostov-on-Don through Novoazovsk and Taganrog, to Zaporizhia – on agreement with the Ukrainian side.

2. To send this statement immediately to the Ukrainian side (vice-premiere of Ukraine Vermechuk Irina Andreevna) and offer until 03:00 (Moscow time), March 8, 2022, to coordinate the specified routes and the start of the functioning of humanitarian corridors, as well as the time, including guarantees to maintain security on the declared routes of the humanitarian operation.

The Ukrainian side before 03:00 (Moscow time) march 8, 2022 to publicize this urgent statement in Ukrainian and Russian languages in the mass media of Ukraine.

3. This statement (in Russian and English) should be immediately delivered to the foreign embassies, UN, OSCE, ICRC and other international organizations through all available information resources, including information means.

4. The Ukrainian side should also notify in the state procedure about the planned humanitarian operations until 03:00 (Moscow time) on March 8, 2022 representatives of the foreign embassies, UN, OSCE, ICRC and other international organisations located on the territory of Ukraine, through the available information resources, including the Ukrainian media.

5. In order to implement the evacuation of civilians and foreign citizens using coordinated routes during the operation from 09:30 (Moscow time) on March 8, 2022 in order to facilitate the mutual exchange of information and the course of the preparation and evacuation of civilians and foreign citizens.

6. This urgent statement shall be immediately publicized and reported to all stakeholders through all available information resources, including the media.