Putin urges to release surrounded Ukrainians, militants ask to lay down arms
The Russian President has urged Donets Basin militants to open a humanitarian corridor and release surrounded Ukrainian soldiers.
Vladimir Putin’s appeal was published on Friday night. The surrounded soldiers ‘did not want to take part in the military operation but they had to obey orders’, he noted. The Russian President suggested creating a humanitarian corridor for them ‘to avoid senseless deaths and let them leave the combat area and reunite with their families’.
The administration of the so-called ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’ replied that the corridor would be opened if the surrounded troops laid down arms. ‘DPR’ PM Alexander Zakharchenko announced it on Russian TV.
"We are ready to let the surrounded Ukrainian troops use humanitarian corridors on condition that they lay down arms so that the weapons and ammunition would not be used against us in the future,” RBK quotes Zakharchenko.
Ukrainian troops were surrounded near Ilovaisk and Amvrosiyevsk. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced on August 28 that Russian troops had invaded Ukraine. Novoazovsk was seized by Russian servicemen, Ukrainian troops reported.
The Russian Ministry of Defence refutes the participation of Russian troops and military equipment in the combat operations in Ukraine.
Zakharchenko’s photo: ria.ru
