# Scant progress evacuating Ukrainian civilians despite Russian ceasefire promise Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2022-03-09 Category: NEWS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news Meta Title: Russia Announces New Ceasefire in Ukraine Meta Description: Russian ceasefire in Ukraine allows civilians to flee besieged cities, but escape routes still limited. Conditions described as 'apocalyptic' in URL: https://financedigest.com/scant-progress-evacuating-ukrainian-civilians-despite-russian-ceasefire-promisehtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2022-03-09t025743z1lynxmpei2804artroptp4ukraine-crisis-sumy-1736815982232-compressed.jpg) By Natalia Zinets LVIV, Ukraine (Reuters) – Russia announced a new ceasefire in Ukraine on Wednesday to let civilians flee besieged cities, but there were only limited signs of progress providing escape routes for hundreds of thousands of people trapped without medicine or fresh water. The governor of Sumy, an eastern city, said civilian cars were leaving for a second day through a safe corridor set up to Poltava further west. But by midday in Ukraine there was no confirmation that any of the other evacuation corridors had been successfully opened, including a route out of Mariupol, seen as the most urgent, where the Red Cross has described conditions as “apocalyptic”. The mayor of Enerhodar, site of [Europe’s biggest nuclear power](https://www.financedigest.com/edf-edison-ansaldo-team-up-to-develop-nuclear-power-in-europe.html "EDF, Edison, Ansaldo team up to develop nuclear power in Europe") plant which Russian forces seized last week in a battle that raised global alarm, said humanitarian supplies would be allowed in and buses would take residents out on the way back. The greatest humanitarian concern is Mariupol, a southern port surrounded by [Russian troops for more than a week](https://www.financedigest.com/ukrainian-volunteers-recount-three-weeks-in-russian-captivity-allege-beatings.html "Ukrainian volunteers recount three weeks in Russian captivity, allege beatings"). Residents there have been [sheltering underground](https://www.financedigest.com/food-of-the-future-london-air-raid-shelter-to-underground-farm.html "Food of the future: London air raid shelter to underground farm") from relentless bombardment, unable to evacuate their wounded, and with no access to food, water, power or heat. Local ceasefires to let them leave have failed since Saturday. Kyiv said 30 buses and eight trucks of supplies [failed to reach](https://www.financedigest.com/analysis-g7-fails-to-reach-intervention-deal-to-ease-pain-of-soaring-dollar.html "Analysis-G7 fails to reach intervention deal to ease pain of soaring dollar") it on Tuesday after they came under Russian shelling in violation of the ceasefire. Moscow has blamed Kyiv for failing to halt fire. More than 2 [million people have fled Ukraine since President Vladimir Putin launched](https://www.financedigest.com/collegiate-ac-and-shuman-capital-launch-e300-million-european-student-living-fund.html "Collegiate AC and Shuman Capital launch €300 million European Student Living Fund") the invasion nearly two weeks ago. Moscow calls its [action a “special military operation” to disarm its neighbour and dislodge leaders](https://www.financedigest.com/what-actions-can-business-leaders-in-the-finance-industry-take-to-improve-wellness.html "What actions can business leaders in the finance industry take to improve wellness?") it calls “neo-Nazis. Kyiv and its Western allies dismiss that as a baseless pretext for an unprovoked war against a democratic country of 44 [million people](https://www.financedigest.com/the-start-up-using-technology-to-help-the-20-million-people-in-britain-with-money-worries.html "The start-up using technology to help the 20 million people in Britain with money worries"). In recent days, Russia has also accused [Ukraine of having tried to develop biological or nuclear weapons](https://www.financedigest.com/south-korea-has-not-supplied-lethal-weapons-to-ukraine-president-says.html "South Korea has not supplied lethal weapons to Ukraine, president says"). On Wednesday, the Kremlin said Washington must explain what Moscow described as Ukrainian biological weapons labs. Western countries call that an attempt to fabricate a new pretext for the invasion retroactively. Ukraine’s nuclear power plant operator said it was concerned for safety, both at Enerhodar and at Chernobyl, mothballed [site of the world’s worst nuclear](https://www.financedigest.com/france-seeks-strategy-as-nuclear-waste-site-risks-saturation-point.html "France seeks strategy as nuclear waste site risks saturation point") disaster, where it said a power cut due to fighting meant spent nuclear fuel could not be cooled. ‘RETALIATORY MEASURES’ The [war has swiftly cast Russia](https://www.financedigest.com/russia-sharply-scales-back-far-east-war-games-with-china.html "Russia sharply scales back Far East war games with China") into economic isolation never before visited on such a large economy. The United States said on Tuesday it was banning imports of [Russian oil](https://www.financedigest.com/oil-prices-rise-after-opec-keeps-output-steady-russian-price-cap-imposed.html "Oil prices rise after OPEC+ keeps output steady, Russian price cap imposed"), a major policy change after energy was previously exempted from sanctions. Western companies have swiftly withdrawn from the [Russian market](https://www.financedigest.com/russian-etf-jumps-as-some-sense-bargains-in-uninvestable-market.html "Russian ETF jumps as some sense bargains in ‘uninvestable’ market"). In a stark symbol, McDonalds said on Tuesday it was shutting its nearly 850 [restaurants in Russia](https://www.financedigest.com/mcdonalds-to-sell-russia-restaurants-to-local-operator-rebrand.html "McDonald’s to sell Russia restaurants to local operator, rebrand"). Its first, which drew huge queues to Moscow’s Pushkin Square when it opened in 1990, had been an emblem of the end of the Cold War. Starbucks , Coca-Cola, Pepsi and others made similar announcements. Imperial Brands, the UK-listed maker of Winston cigarettes, joined the stampede out on Wednesday, shutting its factory in Volgograd. Russia’s ruling United Russia party said it [proposed seizing assets of foreign companies](https://www.financedigest.com/luc-remont-proposed-as-new-boss-of-french-energy-company-edf.html "Luc Remont proposed as new boss of French energy company EDF") that leave. “We will take tough retaliatory measures, acting in accordance with the laws of war,” Andrei Turchak, secretary of the party’s council, wrote on its website. Banishing Russia, the [world’s top](https://www.financedigest.com/top-10-fastest-bikes-in-the-world.html "Top 10 fastest bikes in the world") exporter of combined oil and gas, from markets is sending shockwaves through the global economy at a time when inflation in the developed world is already at levels not seen since the 1980s. Retail fuel pump prices have [surged to records](https://www.financedigest.com/londons-ftse-100-hits-fresh-record-high-as-telecoms-surge.html "London’s FTSE 100 hits fresh record high as telecoms surge"). \[O/R\] Both [Ukraine and Russia are also major global exporters](https://www.financedigest.com/ukraine-grain-export-coordination-centre-opens-in-istanbul.html "Ukraine grain export coordination centre opens in Istanbul") of food and metals. [Prices of grain and food oils](https://www.financedigest.com/oil-prices-steady-after-u-s-stockpile-swell.html "Oil prices steady after U.S. stockpile swell") have soared worldwide, punishing poor countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Trade in nickel, critical in electric vehicle production, was called off on Tuesday in [London after the price](https://www.financedigest.com/immediate-lift-of-oxford-property-prices-to-result-from-new-direct-high-speed-rail-connection-with-london.html "“Immediate lift” of Oxford property prices to result from new direct high speed rail connection with London") more than doubled. Ukraine said on Wednesday it was halting exports of rye, barley, buckwheat, millet, sugar, salt and meat for the rest of the year. ‘WAR MACHINE’ U.S. President Joe [Biden acknowledged that Americans’ bills](https://www.financedigest.com/biden-signs-bill-to-boost-u-s-chips-compete-with-china.html "Biden signs bill to boost U.S. chips, compete with China") would rise but said it was necessary to restrict Russia’s ability to wage war. The American people will [deal another powerful](https://www.financedigest.com/siemens-energy-signs-7-billion-eur-offshore-power-deal-with-tennet.html "Siemens Energy signs 7-billion-eur offshore power deal with TenneT") blow to Putin’s war machine,” he said. Britain said it would phase out Russian oil by the end of 2022, while the European Union published [plans to cut](https://www.financedigest.com/meta-plans-to-cut-thousands-of-jobs-as-soon-as-this-week-bloomberg-news.html "Meta plans to cut thousands of jobs as soon as this week – Bloomberg News") its reliance on Russian gas by two thirds this year. China, which signed a friendship pact with Russia three weeks before the invasion, has yet to join the West in condemning Moscow or [imposing sanctions](https://www.financedigest.com/new-u-s-sanctions-imposed-for-russian-bank-oligarchs-crypto-miner-bitriver.html "New U.S. sanctions imposed for Russian bank, oligarchs, crypto miner BitRiver"). U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told the New York [Times Washington could “essentially shut” down Semiconductor Manufacturing](https://www.financedigest.com/why-manufacturers-mustnt-lose-their-green-focus-in-troubled-times.html "WHY MANUFACTURERS MUSTN’T LOSE THEIR GREEN FOCUS IN TROUBLED TIMES") International Corp or any Chinese companies that kept supplying chips or other advanced technology to Russia. U.S. intelligence chiefs told lawmakers on Tuesday that China appeared to have been unsettled by difficulties Russia was facing in [Ukraine and the strength of the Western](https://www.financedigest.com/analysis-russian-gold-removed-from-some-western-funds-after-ukraine.html "Analysis-Russian gold removed from some Western funds after Ukraine") reaction. High [oil prices prompted by Russia’s invasion could cut a full percentage point off the growth of big](https://www.financedigest.com/big-oil-doubles-profits-in-blockbuster-2022.html "Big Oil doubles profits in blockbuster 2022") developing economies such as China, Indonesia, South Africa and Turkey, a World Bank official said. ‘OUR TASK’ Western countries believe Moscow had aimed to quickly topple the Kyiv govenrment in a lightning strike, and is being forced to adjust after underestimating Ukrainian resistance. Russia has taken substantial territory in the south but has yet to capture any major [cities in northern](https://www.financedigest.com/4-for-the-price-of-1-what-you-can-buy-in-the-uks-top-northern-cities-for-the-price-of-a-london-pad.html "4 for the price of 1: What you can buy in the UK’s top northern cities for the price of a London pad") or eastern Ukraine, with an assault force stalled on a highway north of Kyiv. [Russia is desperate for some kind of victory in cities like Mariupol](https://www.financedigest.com/russia-unleashes-rockets-after-mariupol-ceasefire-eu-eyes-oil-sanctions.html "Russia unleashes rockets after Mariupol ceasefire, EU eyes oil sanctions") and Kyiv, before it negotiates peace, Vadym Denysenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister, wrote on Facebook on Wednesday. “Therefore, our task is to withstand for the next 7-10 days,” he said. Ukrainians fear the [next big](https://www.financedigest.com/finance-is-the-next-big-sector-to-be-ubered.html "Finance is the next big sector to be Uber’ed") target will be Odessa, Ukraine’s main Black Sea port. Residents are preparing to defend the historic city of 1 million, a polyglot centre of culture with wide resonance for Ukrainians and Russians alike. A giant blue and yellow banner reading “Odessa-Ukraine” was draped atop sandbags in the near-deserted [city centre](https://www.financedigest.com/why-are-there-so-few-apartments-to-rent-in-liverpool-city-centre.html "Why are there so few apartments to rent in Liverpool city centre?"). “We did not surrender Odessa to Hitler, and we will not surrender it to anyone else,” said Galyna Zitser, director of the Odessa Philharmonic, which on Tuesday put on its first performance since the crisis began. (Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by Peter Graff; Editing by Tomasz Janowski) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---