Nine evacuation routes leading out of different Ukrainian cities, including the besieged southeastern city of Mariupol, have been agreed for Thursday, the Ukrainian government said.

The corridors are designed to allow safe transport of humanitarian aid into the cities, and safe passage out for residents who want to leave.

In recent days, an increasing number of private vehicles have made it out of Mariupol even though a formal corridor has not been in place. A humanitarian convoy destined for the city has been stuck in Berdiansk, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) to the west, for days.

Iryna Vereshchuk, the Ukrainian minister responsible, said other corridors have been agreed in the Kyiv region, including from Borodianka to Zhytomyr, and from Shevchenkove village to Brovary.

Additionally, Vereshchuk said the government is planning to deliver humanitarian aid to the towns of Hostomel and Bucha, as well as to the villages of Semypolky, Markivtsi and Opanasiv.

Some context: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said evacuation corridors did not work on Wednesday as the Russian military did not stop shelling, disrupting the movement of residents trying to escape from Mariupol.

CNN