A top government official of Ukraine said on Wednesday that the country must fight off Russia’s offensive for the next seven to ten days to prevent Moscow from claiming triumph, as more than 2 million people flee the worst attack on a European country since the World War II.
According to Vadym Denysenko, Ukraine’s interior minister’s adviser, Russia is anxious for at least some form of triumph, with Mariupol or Kyiv as the most likely objectives.
Denysenko commented on Facebook, ‘They need at least some win before they are forced into the final discussions.’
‘As a result, our mission is to remain standing for the next 7-10 days.’
On Wednesday, Russia announced that it will open humanitarian corridors for people fleeing Kyiv and four other Ukrainian cities. The city of Sumy, which opened on Tuesday, is the only working corridor.
According to Sumy regional governor Dmytro Zhyvytskyy, over 5,000 people rode buses out of the northeastern city on Tuesday after Moscow and Kyiv agreed on the corridor.
He added that some 1,000 cars were able to leave, heading towards the city of Poltava, and that the corridor will remain operational on Wednesday.
Sumy’s residential neighbourhood had been bombed overnight, according to Zhyvytskyy, with one bomb killing 22 victims. He referred to the incident as ‘mass murder.’
Moscow denies that people are being targeted. The Sumy event could not be verified by international media.
The Sumy corridor, according to Zhyvytskyy, will remain operational on Wednesday.
Ukraine has accused Russian forces of shelling a new evacuation route in the country’s south, from Mariupol.
Russian forces will “observe a regime of silence” from 10 a.m. Moscow time (0700 GMT) to ensure safe passage for civilians wishing to leave Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Mariupol, the head of Russia’s National Defence Control Centre, Mikhail Mizintsev said in a statement, as quoted by the Tass news agency
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