MOSCOW, April 18. /TASS/. The Russian and Ukrainian sides opened humanitarian corridors in seven cities, Mikhail Mizintsev, chief of Russia’s National Defense Management Center, said on Sunday.

"The Russian side opens humanitarian corridors in the Kharkov, Lugansk, Donetsk and Crimean directions to Russia," he said.

According to Mizintsev, who also heads the Russian Joint Coordination Headquarters for Humanitarian Response in Ukraine, during the day, Ukraine opened ten corridors in Zaporozhye, Dnepropetrovsk and Donetsk, none of them to Russia.

"Russia is ready to open humanitarian corridors in other directions and ensure safe evacuation of civilians," he stressed.

He also said that the Russian army and forces of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics strictly observe the ceasefire along all humanitarian corridors, including those opened by Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities continue to hamper evacuation of civilians from blocked cities. "Militants of nationalist battalions cynically continue to open mortar and gun fire at humanitarian corridors, including those opened by the Ukrainian side," he added.