Russian Defense Ministry said a total of 150 civilians were used as a human shield in Mariupol while the Ukrainian nationalists opened fire on the Donetsk People's Republics (DPR) fighters from behind the civilians' back.
Igor Konashenkov, Russian Defence Ministry spokesperson in a statement said, "Yesterday at around 17.00 Moscow time, on Pobedy Avenue in Mariupol, DPR servicemen collided with a unit of Ukrainian armed nationalists. The militants drove more than 150 civilians ahead of them, hiding behind them as a 'human shield'," reported Sputnik.
The Russian armed forces announced a ceasefire from 10:00 am (07:00 GMT) for the residents of Ukraine's capital Kyiv, Mariupol, Kharkiv, Sumy to leave the cities, local media reported citing interdepartmental coordination headquarters for humanitarian response in Ukraine on Monday.
"Given the catastrophic humanitarian situation and its sharp aggravation in the cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy and Mariupol, as well as at the personal request of French President Emmanuel Macron to Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, the Russian armed forces announce ceasefire for humanitarian purposes from 10;00 March 7, 2022, and open humanitarian corridors," the response centre said in a statement.
During the ceasefire, Russia will control the evacuation of residents from the cities of Ukraine with the help of drones, the statement read cited by the Sputnik News Agency said.
Meanwhile, Russian armed forces have already disabled nearly 2,400 military targets of Ukraine since the start of the operation."In total, 2,396 military targets of Ukraine were hit during the operation, including 82 command posts and communication centres of the Ukrainian military, 119 S-300, Buk M-1 and Osa air defence missile systems, 76 radar stations," Russian defence ministry spokesman said on Monday.The destroyed facilities also include 827 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 84 multiple rocket launchers, 304 field artillery pieces and mortars, 603 units of special military vehicles, 78 unmanned aerial vehicles.The forces shot down 14 planes, helicopters and drones of Ukraine, including Bayraktar combat drones, he added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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