Ukraine demands that Russia open humanitarian corridors for residents of occupied territories

Ukraine demands that Russia open humanitarian corridors for the residents of the temporarily occupied territories who wish to leave for Ukraine-controlled territory.

Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk said this during the national news telethon, commenting on the decree issued in the Russian Federation which allows the deportation of persons without Russian citizenship from the Russian Federation from July 2024, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Thousands of Ukrainians want to return to the territory controlled by Ukraine. They want to escape from the hell that Russia has created for them in the temporarily occupied territories. We demand to open humanitarian corridors and stop cynically deceiving the world, telling [what will happen] after 2024... They [invaders] will not be in the temporarily occupied territories in 2024," Vereshchuk said.

At the same time, she emphasized that Russia does not want to start negotiations regarding the opening of humanitarian corridors.

As reported, Russian president Vladimir Putin signed a decree allowing the deportation of residents of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine who have not acquired Russian citizenship. The decree stipulates that citizens of Ukraine or holders of "passports" of the puppet formations "DPR" and "LPR" must either become Russian citizens or declare that they do not wish to do so. Those who choose the second option will be considered foreigners from July 1, 2024 and, accordingly, may be deported.

On March 17, 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian president Vladimir Putin and Russian president's commissioner for children's rights Maria Lvova-Belova who are suspected of unlawful deportation of children from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine to Russia since at least February 2022.