MOSCOW

Moscow decided to open another humanitarian corridor in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol to evacuate civilians and foreign nationals at the request of Turkiye’s president, the Russian Defense Ministry said late Saturday.

Moscow will provide full assistance in the evacuation of civilians and foreign citizens in accordance with Recep Tayyip Erdogan's request to Russian President Vladimir Putin, said the ministry.

The statement said on April 3 at 00:00 Moscow time, the humanitarian corridor from Mariupol to Berdyansk was opened and strict compliance with the "regime of silence" on the way of movement was guaranteed. The regime of silence is the name given to the cease-fire for a certain period in certain areas to evacuate civilians.

Foreign citizens can travel from Berdyansk to areas controlled by Ukraine or to Russian-controlled Crimea, it said.

The statement noted that the Ukrainian side of the corridor will also be implemented if the "regime of silence" is strictly observed, and the Kyiv administration requested to confirm in writing that it is ready for evacuation by 3 a.m. Moscow time.

It said Kyiv should transmit a written statement that it would comply with the "regime of silence" to the Russian and Turkish sides, as well as to the International Organization of the Red Cross and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The Russian war against Ukraine, which started Feb. 24, has been met with international outrage, with the EU, US, and Britain, among others, implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.

At least 1,325 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and 2,017 injured, according to UN estimates, with the true figure feared to be far higher.

More than 4.1 million Ukrainians have also fled to other countries, with millions more internally displaced, according to the UN refugee agency.

*Writing by Merve Berker