67 Foreign Ships From 15 Countries Trapped In Ukraine, Russia Will Open Humanitarian Corridor Starting Today

JAKARTA - Russian authorities will create a humanitarian corridor to free dozens of foreign ships trapped in Ukraine, by creating a humanitarian corridor, a top defense official said.

Russia is creating a humanitarian corridor 20 miles southeast of the Ilyichevsk port for the exit of 67 foreign ships from Ukrainian ports, said Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev, head of Russia's National Defense Management.

"The Russian Federation is creating a humanitarian corridor for the exit of foreign ships from Ukrainian ports into the open sea, which is a safe passage for the movement of ships from the assembly area located 20 miles southeast of Ilyichevsk Port", Colonel-General Mizintsev said, as reported by TASS on March 25.

He further explained the humanitarian corridor has a length of 80 nautical miles to the southwest and a width of three miles. The humanitarian corridor will be open daily between 08:00 and 19:00 Moscow time, starting March 25.

Not only that, Mizintsev called on the entire international community, including the International Maritime Organization, to put pressure on Ukraine and take effective measures aimed at freeing foreign ships, ensuring their safe passage from Ukrainian ports.

As previously reported, the Director of the Russian National Defense Management Center, Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev, said the mine hazard created by the Kyiv Government together with the threat of firing by the Ukrainian armed forces prevented 67 foreign ships from 15 countries from safely leaving the region.

Colonel-General Mizintsev explained, the ships were stuck in several ports spread across several areas, such as Nikolaev Ports, Chernomorsk, Ochakov, Odesa, and Yuzhny.

"The danger of mines is high created by Kyiv officials in the internal waters of Ukraine and the territorial sea (minefields were placed in gross violation of the preparatory regulations and without placing them on the map)", he explained, TASS reported.

"As well as threats of firing by the Ukrainian Armed Forces from ships following the recommended route, not allowing them to leave the Nikolaev Ports, Chernomorsk, Ochakov, Odesa, Yuzhny safely and go to the high seas", he said, noting that Russia did not create any risk to freedoms. civil navigation.