Russian Ministry Of Defense: Ukrainian Nationalists Hostage 90 Foreigners From Five Countries

Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev, Director of the Russian National Defense Management Center. (Twitter/@mod_russia)

JAKARTA - Head of the Russian National Defense Management Center, Colonel-General Mizintsev revealed that ninety foreigners were held hostage by nationalists as human shields in Ukraine, last weekend.

Earlier on April 21, he reported that Ukrainian nationalists were holding about 6,134 foreigners from 10 states.

"Ukrainian nationalists continue to hold 90 foreigners from five countries as human shields," said Mizintsev, who heads Russia's inter-departmental coordination headquarters for the humanitarian response in Ukraine.

The Colonel-General further revealed that as many as 76 foreign ships from 18 states continue to be blocked in seven Ukrainian ports, they are unable to go to sea due to the high threat of shelling and mines created by Kyiv.

"In turn, the Russian Federation is taking various comprehensive measures to ensure civilian navigation in the waters of the Black, Azov, and Mediterranean Seas. There is still a navigational danger from the current of Ukrainian mines that are loose from anchor along the coasts of the Black Sea country," Mizintsev stressed.

The head of the Russian National Defense Control Center reminded that the Russian Armed Forces opened a humanitarian corridor for the safe movement of ships to the southwest every day from 08:00 to 19:00 Moscow time, 80 nautical miles long and 3 nautical miles wide.

"Detailed information on the operation of the maritime humanitarian corridor is transmitted every 15 minutes via VHF radio communications on 14 and 16 international channels in English and Russian," he explained.

According to Mizintsev, the Kyiv authorities are still reluctant to interact with state representatives and shipowners on the issue of the safe egress of foreign vessels.

"We continue to call on international organizations, as well as the leadership of the shipowners' companies, to continue influencing Kyiv officials to take immediate action aimed at freeing and ensuring the safe exit of foreign vessels from Ukrainian ports," he concluded.