Moscow announces new Mariupol ceasefire to move out civilians

The Kremlin has also agreed to a proposal from Kyiv to open four new humanitarian corridors

Nurse Svetlana Savchenko, 56, stands next to her bombed-out apartment building in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine, on March 30. Reuters

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The Russian Defence Ministry announced a local ceasefire on Thursday to allow civilians to be moved from Ukraine's besieged port city of Mariupol.

A humanitarian corridor from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia, through the Russian-controlled port of Berdiansk, would be opened from 10am, the ministry said on Wednesday.

"For this humanitarian operation to succeed, we propose to carry it out with the direct participation of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Committee of the Red Cross," the ministry said.

The Russian ministry asked Kyiv to guarantee the "unconditional respect" for the ceasefire through written notification, the UNHCR and ICRC before 6am on Thursday.

Moscow also asked the Ukrainian army to ensure the security of the bus convoys along the designated corridor.

The ministry said it had agreed to a proposal from Kyiv to open in the last 24 hours four new humanitarian corridors, from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia.