Completely immoral
» Bogus civilian passages lead refugees into Russia
UKRAINE has slammed Moscow’s vow of escape routes for terrified citizens as “completely immoral” after it emerged some would lead into Russia or its ally Belarus.
The Kremlin suspended attacks to let people flee Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mariupol and Sumy from 10am today.
But only routes from Mariupol and Sumy lead to other parts of Ukraine.
Merciless Kremlin forces again breached a ceasefire yesterday as they shelled families trying to flee the war.
Ukraine insists civilians should be able to evacuate into safer parts of their country and then to the West. A spokesman for embattled leader President Volodymyr Zelensky branded the pledge of six escape routes a “completely immoral” stunt.
Deputy PM Iryna Vereshchuk added: “This is an unacceptable way of opening humanitarian corridors.
“Our people will not go from Kyiv to Belarus to then be flown to the Russian Federation.”
Officials said an air strike hit a bread factory in northern Ukraine, killing at least 13, while a third round of peace talks made little progress.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba yesterday said his nation wanted discussions between Mr Zelensky and Russia’s premier because Vladimir Putin is calling the shots in Moscow.
He added: “Our president is not scared of anything, including a direct meeting with Putin.
“If Putin is also not scared, let him come.”
In a video to his people yesterday, Mr Zelensky said there will be a “day of judgment” for Russia and “we will not forgive”.
He added: “We never wanted this war but this war was brought to us. We never wanted to kill anyone but we have to fight back to get the enemy out of our land and life. “We have to tolerate what a single nation in Europe didn’t have to tolerate for the last 70 years.” In Hostomel, near Kyiv, Mayor Yuri Prylypko was shot dead while handing out bread and medicine to those stranded in the besieged town next to an airfield. In outlying areas of the city, houses were flattened, including one in which six relatives reportedly died.
In Irpin, half an hour from Kyiv, frail residents had to be helped over a freezing river on a bridge made of planks after fleeing the bombardment.
Ukraine’s government said 202 schools and 34 hospitals have been razed to the ground.
Far from easing, the bombing of Kharkiv and Chernihiv restarted with fierce intensity.
In the south, tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped in the port city of Mariupol without power while food and water were in short supply.
Although getting out has been almost impossible for many, local