Russia-Ukraine war news: Live updates

Two humanitarian corridors will operate Friday, agreed between Russia and Ukraine, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a daily video update — including one direct from the besieged city of Mariupol, for citizens who can leave in private vehicles.

“Two humanitarian corridors have been agreed on for today,” Vereshchuk said, down from seven on Thursday.

They will operate from Melitopol to Zaporizhzhia and another from Mariupol to Zaporizhzhia, “for those who will leave with their own transport,” she added.

It is the first time in recent days an evacuation route has been announced direct from Mariupol – earlier this week, amid fierce street fighting, residents were evacuated by bus from areas near the city instead.

For those in Mariupol without their own vehicles, evacuation buses will continue to operate from the nearby city of Berdyansk, a city about 50 miles southwest of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov which has until now been the main evacuation route. About 48 buses are stationed at Berdyansk, Vereshchuk said Friday.

“We will do all we can so that buses filled with our Mariupol residents arrive in Zaporizhzhia today,” she said. For people fleeing in their own vehicles, she added, there would be gasoline supplies upon arrival in Berdyansk.

In an update earlier this week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said at least 100,000 people were still living in Mariupol under worsening humanitarian conditions and fearing for their lives under “constant shelling.” Before the conflict, Mariupol had an estimated population of about 441,000. The port city has faced the brunt of the Russian offensive so far.

A spokesman for the World Health Organization, Tarik Jasarevic told The Post on Friday that a humanitarian convoy to Mariupol this week “was not able to be dispatched due to insecurity.”

Ukrainian presidential adviser Kirill Timoshenko confirmed the two humanitarian exit routes in a Telegram post Friday. He said people would be able to leave Mariupol directly using their “own transport” rather than wait for bus transfers.

Amar Nadhir contributed to this report.