Statement of the Joint Coordination Headquarters for Humanitarian Response in Ukraine (April 19, 2022)
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, from 14:00 (Moscow time) on April 19, 2022, once again opened a humanitarian corridor from the territory of the Azovstal plant in the city of Mariupol for the withdrawal of Ukrainian servicemen and militants of nationalist formations ready to voluntarily lay down their arms, as well as to evacuate civilians, who, according to the Ukrainian side, were allegedly there.
As of 22:00 (Moscow time) on April 19, 2022, no one used the specified corridor.
The reasons for this are:
firstly– representatives of the Kiev authorities continue to deceive their own people, convincing them that there is allegedly no possibility of evacuation of Ukrainian armed formations from Mariupol, and currently from the Azovstal metallurgical plant. These actions of Kiev regime representatives have been persistently implemented since March 21, 2022, that is, since the beginning of the daily humanitarian corridors in the Mariupol direction. Lies and deception towards their own people, as well as the betrayal of Ukrainian servicemen and national battalions, are the real content of the policy of the current Kiev regime, and what is happening in Mariupol is another proof of that;
secondly, according to the content of the radio intercepts, the commanders of the armed formations remaining on Azovstal, realizing the hopelessness of their situation, are ready to lay down their arms, but only by the corresponding order (command) from Kiev. Without receiving such an order, the commanders of the Ukrainian armed formations cannot make a decision on their own, because a military tribunal awaits them in Ukraine for these actions, with a sentence up to and including execution;
thirdly, civilians who may be at the Azovstal plant (according to the Ukrainian side) are not given the opportunity to evacuate, as the militants use them as a "human shield". This reliable information was confirmed by the testimony of captured Ukrainian servicemen and intercepted radio conversations during the fighting in the city of Mariupol.
Despite the absence of any elementary actions on the part of the Kiev authorities to save their country's servicemen, as well as understanding the complete irresponsibility of the Kiev regime officials for the predicted sad outcome of resistance in the remaining hotbed of Mariupol, the Russian Armed Forces, once again offer the nationalist battalion fighters and foreign mercenaries to stop fighting and lay down their weapons from 14:00 ( Moscow time) on 20 April 2022.
The leadership of the Russian Federation guarantees the preservation of life, complete safety and the provision of qualified medical care to all those who have laid down their weapons. Russia has repeatedly, including through the surrender of Ukrainian marines who have laid down their arms and surrendered in practice, confirmed its humane attitude towards prisoners of war and its full compliance with the norms of international humanitarian law. And this time the Russian side guarantees compliance with the Geneva Conventions on the treatment of prisoners of war.
For the practical implementation of the measures of this next humanitarian operation , the following algorithm of actions is provided:
from 13:00 (Moscow time), continuous communication is established between the Russian and Ukrainian sides for the mutual exchange of information;
from 13:30 (Moscow time), the militants of nationalist battalions and foreign mercenaries – on the one hand, the Russian Armed Forces together with the military formations of the Donetsk People's Republic – on the other hand, declare a ceasefire and guarantee its strict observance. The actual beginning of the ceasefire by both sides is indicated by the raising of flags: from the Russian side – red, from the Ukrainian side – white around the perimeter of Azovstal. In addition, the fact that the parties are ready to introduce a ceasefire is confirmed by all communication channels;
from 14:00 (Moscow time) – withdrawal of all Ukrainian armed units and foreign mercenaries without exception, without any weapons and ammunition.
For this purpose (during the period of ceasefire), the units of the Armed Forces of Russia and the formations of the Donetsk People's Republic around the perimeter of the Azovstal cease hostilities and are withdrawn to a safe distance.
Once again, we call on the official authorities of Kiev to show prudence, give appropriate instructions to the militants to stop senseless resistance and exit through humanitarian corridors.
Despite the predictable prohibition of the Kiev authorities to lay down their arms, we call on the commanders of Ukrainian units, as well as the servicemen themselves, to make such a decision to save their own lives.
If the commanders of the Ukrainian armed formations refuse to lay down their arms, we call on the Kiev authorities to influence the militants in guaranteed compliance with the ceasefire for the withdrawal of civilians, if they are on the territory of Azovstal.
At the same time, the Russian leadership guarantees the safe evacuation of all, without exception, civilians and their movement as part of humanitarian convoys in any direction they choose.
Humanitarian convoys have been deployed in advance in the immediate vicinity of the metallurgical plant in three directions:
the first one is from the western direction on Shevchenko street;
the second is from the eastern direction on Pobedy avenue;
the third is from the north direction on Taganrogskaya street.
Each humanitarian convoy consists of up to 50 buses and cars for transporting people, up to 15 ambulances with medical and nursing teams. In addition, meeting points and temporary accommodation have been deployed in all these directions, food and primary medical care facilities have been organized.
This urgent statement is subject to immediate publication and communication to the United Nations, the OSCE, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other international organizations, diplomatic missions of all foreign states through all available communication channels and information resources.
In addition, from 00:00 (Moscow time) on April 20, 2022, this statement will be continuously brought to the Ukrainian formations at Azovstal via radio channels at intervals of every 30 minutes.
Through operational communication channels, this statement is immediately brought to the Ukrainian side through the Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of Ukraine Irina Vereshchuk.